Your smart TV has one big problem: It's tracking what you watch

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Smart TVs are everywhere, but they hide a big problem in plain sight. Not only do they push constant ads in your direction, but they also monitor what you watch to help advertisers personalize ads — not just on the TV, but everywhere else too.

What is Automatic Content Recognition?

Like most smart devices, smart TVs gather extensive data on your viewing habits using Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). They do this by capturing screenshots every few seconds (or even multiple times per second), which they use to identify what you watch on built-in apps and streaming services, as well as connected devices like gaming consoles and streaming boxes. Just like Shazam, ACR only needs a snippet to identify what's being shown.

Beyond content, TVs capture valuable technical data, such as your IP address, Wi-Fi details, app usage patterns and more. If you use a voice-enabled remote or built-in voice assistant, the TV will capture short audio snippets for processing.

While manufacturers say ACR improves the experience and is disclosed during setup, critics say it's far too complicated to switch off and that none of this is made clear.

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Data is fed through an algorithm to generate a "fingerprint" of what you do, then uploaded to the manufacturer for processing. The processed data may then be sold to data brokers, who combine it with other information to build spookily accurate profiles of you. Vizio's Platform+, which includes FAST TV, ads, sponsorships and similar, made $598 million in 2023. 

This is a lucrative business. Analysts predict the ACR market will reach $23.37 billion by 2034. Meanwhile, manufacturers say ACR revenue helps keep TV prices low.

In some cases, state privacy laws mean manufacturers must be more open about this practice. This sofa surveillance system has already led to court cases, including litigation against big TV manufacturers in the state of Texas.

Advertising agencies have existed for decades. Now we also have data brokers, who work with them to identify ad audiences. Brokers grab data across the digital experience, from website ads to loyalty schemes to apps tracking your activity, in order to build profiles.

TV is just another data point in this privatized personal data intelligence complex. The extent of the data they collect can be intrusive, which is why you might see an ad for tennis rackets in your browser after watching a bunch of beginner tennis guides on your TV.

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Manufacturers use different terms for ACR and offer different management tools to disable it, which may impact other TV features. While this can depend on your exact TV, the following guidelines will give you a start:

• Sony: Settings > All Settings, then turn Samba Interactive TV off.
• Samsung: Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Terms & Privacy. Turn off Viewing Information Services and Interest-based Advertising.
• LG: Settings > General > System > Additional Settings. Turn off Live Plus, then enable Limit Ad tracking in Advertisement.
• Vizio: Settings > All Settings > Admin and Privacy. Turn Viewing Data off.
• Roku TVs (TCL, Hisense, Philips and Sharp): Settings > Privacy, then turn off Smart TV Experience and Use info from TV inputs. Under Privacy > Advertising, enable Limit ad tracking. Restrict microphone permissions in Privacy > Microphone.
• Amazon Fire TV: Settings > Privacy Settings. Turn off all three.
• Android and Google TVs: Settings > About > Legal Information. Opt out of receiving personalized ads. Open Settings > Privacy > User Agreements to reset these and opt out of what you can.

Check back sometimes, because your TVs could re-enable ACR after software updates. Wirecutter also found some TVs keep capturing ACR data while offline and upload it the next time they connect.

Beyond turning off the primary toggles, there are a few more steps you can take to limit the data your TV grabs:

1. Take your TV offline: Disable Wi-Fi access and use a media streaming device like an Apple TV for all your apps and streaming. Your TV's ACR system can still sees what's on-screen, so make sure you've deactivated it. Depending on the streaming device you choose, you may also need to stop your Roku from tracking what you watch, for instance.
2. Turn off the microphone: Deactivate voice assistants in your TV's privacy or voice settings. Disable the microphone inside the remote and built into the TV (if present) if you can.
3. Advanced network control: Block outbound TV traffic at the router level or use a DNS blocker, though this may break apps or updates.