Smart TVs provide a wide array of functions, but they also pose significant privacy risks by tracking user viewing habits. Technologies like Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) allow manufacturers to collect data on what's being watched, impacting user confidentiality. Notable privacy breaches, such as VIZIO's 2017 settlement for unauthorized data collection, highlight these concerns. While options to disable ACR exist, they are often hard to find. This article outlines practical steps for users to disable tracking and safeguard their privacy across popular smart TV brands.
One of them is how most TV brands use various technologies to track your viewing habits and monetize that data.
For example, most smart TVs include Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), which is a technology that can detect what you're watching on your TV.
Privacy violations by smart TV manufacturers are not just theoretical. In 2017, VIZIO settled the charges for using complex pixel-matching to collect user data without consent.
While TV manufacturers now offer options to disable ACR and other tracking features, they are often buried deep within menus and labeled under different names.
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