> Why so many people (especially the ones that understand technology) seem to be ok with this?
Because there are no viable alternative devices. It's now impossible to buy a non-smart TV because smart TVs were cheaper (due to surveillance-funded subsidies).
The next best thing would probably be open-source firmware installed on these consumer device, paired with a self-hosted home-assistant.io
At least with a smart TV it's often quite practical to just not connect it to the internet. If your camera won't function at all without a network, it's not that useful.
Because there are no viable alternative devices. It's now impossible to buy a non-smart TV because smart TVs were cheaper (due to surveillance-funded subsidies).
The next best thing would probably be open-source firmware installed on these consumer device, paired with a self-hosted home-assistant.io