A Redditor described a tech mishap that spiraled into a medical emergency for their sister. They turned to the r/LegalAdviceUK subreddit to ask for help.
“My schizophrenic sister hospitalised herself because she [thought] she was having a psychotic episode where someone was attempting to [communicate] with her through her fridge. Turns out it was an advert on the LED screen.”
What happened to the sister
Redditor u/Fun-Blueberry-2147 explained that their sister, Carol, has schizophrenia and has required hospital care during past episodes. She recognized early symptoms herself and voluntarily admitted herself for monitoring after believing messages were coming through her refrigerator screen. Doctors kept her for two days, modified her medication, and allowed her to return home once stable.
“I’ve finally got her back home a few days ago,” OP wrote. “However, when I was scrolling on Facebook today, I saw an advert on a smart fridge which stated the words, ‘WE’RE SORRY WE UPSET YOU, CAROL.’ It was set against a creepy yellow background and was very ominous. Upon closer inspection, it was an advert for some TV show.”
After sending Carol a screenshot, the two confirmed it matched what she encountered before her hospitalization.
The user expressed frustration and asked the r/LegalAdviceUK community whether running eerie personalized ads on home appliances was legal in the U.K., especially when individuals with mental health conditions might misunderstand them.
The TV show in question is Apple TV’s Pluribus, Vince Gilligan’s latest television series, which revolves around a single character named Carol.
Reactions to the Reddit post
Commenters responded with both advice and empathy. Many suggested filing a complaint with the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Others proposed simple options like replacing the smart fridge with a basic model or disabling advertising features.
Redditor u/Normal_Trust3562 wrote, “Yes. It’s legal. But your poor sister, I can only imagine how scary it was for her :( As someone with a family member who suffers the same, get her a basic fridge with no screens or internet on. It’s too much, life is a lot more peaceful without being bombarded with adverts on your bloody fridge anyway.”
The story also circulated on X, where people were shocked but not surprised by the ad placement.
@KlonnyPin_Gosch tweeted, “When ARG advertising goes wrong… F’ing crazy that Apple can just hijack people’s fridges like that lol. You will eat ze leftovers and have every inch of your personal life & attention span commodified.”
@awesometownz noted, “So terribly sorry for this woman and genuinely wishing her a full recovery soon. but popstar never stop never stopping showed us ads on appliances were a cursed idea and we just ignored it, now an innocent woman is paying the price.”
@chemistress42 added, “Tbf, if my fridge addressed me by name and I didn’t have any other context, I would also think I was having a psychotic episode.”
@j3nnag asked, “Why do we need screens on fridges? Why?”
Reddit discussion continued as people searched for context. Someone linked a Nov 13 post in r/a**holedesign showing the same ad that included instructions on how to shut off the display’s promotional content. The OP also argued that the r/LegalAdviceUK post might be fabricated since a comment on that earlier thread mentioned a hypothetical Carol having a psychotic event after seeing the ad.
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