They very well might scan even with no networks configured (some Wi-Fi stacks scan in the background by default; it can reduce the the time the user has to wait when selecting an SSID or initiating a connection), but has anyone claimed that they actually connect? I think that would make headlines.
Agreed. Presumably the only thing they'd be able to reliably connect to is things like xfinity hotspots.
The idea that they'd have some kind of generic login for this would be hilariously insane and definitely make headlines.
But the idea of eg samsung brokering a deal with comcast to get conditional access to comcast modems to upload telemetry data in exchange for a modest access fee?
You could even market this feature directly to consumers: If you're in a house that rents a modem from comcast, your samsung smart TV "just works", and nobody has to fiddle with the wifi password.
There's no evidence that this happens today, but I'd be surprised if it hadn't been pitched repeatedly, and was currently under construction in some form.
