Yes, even your TV is spying on you. The terms of service on a smart TV change like the wind, and every time you’re asked to accept a litany of new agreements that go beyond what is necessary for the TV to function, you’re likely volunteering to be spied on by your own smart TV, if it hasn’t already been enabled by default. The mole in your house is called Automated Content Recognition (ACR).
ACR is a technology that identifies what it is you’re watching on your TV. This applies to both visual and audio sources. This not only works for built-in apps but also anything connected through HDMI ports, like an Amazon Fire Stick or game consoles. You could be completely offline, connecting an old school DVD drive to your TV, and manufacturers can still steal that data.
Companies use ACR to learn what you like and don’t like and then use that information to hit you with ads or suggest content. But of course, it’s not just about suggesting things that you may like to watch. Manufacturers turn around and sell this data to companies to then use predatory tactics against you. It’s like a stalker in league with other stalkers — they learn all about you and then lure you in with the tantalizing appeal of consumerism.
If you think that’s bad, Gamers Nexus published a video back in September investigating a serious privacy issue that LG Smart TVs have — the microphone is on and actively listening, even when the screen is turned off. It also stores the recorded data when the TV is completely disconnected from the internet. Terrifying.
If you’d rather not have all of your personal information stolen from something as simple as a display, then you need to disable ACR immediately. Here’s how.
How to stop smart TVs from stealing your data
Unfortunately, some manufacturers turned to cleverly calling ACR something else entirely, and often hide the setting deep within a series of menus. I’m going to go over a few of them so you generally know what to look for. However, my overall advice is to do a thorough sweep of your TV settings. Typically, there are explanations next to each setting, and if not, look them up to see what they’re really about.
LG TVs
Let’s start with the spooky one first. LG likes to call its ACR technology Live Plus, and you can dig that setting out by going to Settings > General > System > Advanced Settings. I’d disable Live Plus as well as Live Promotion. Depending on the model you have, there’s also Content Recommendations, Screen Saver Promotion, and Limit Ad Tracking settings that you can disable too.
Amazon Fire TVs
At the very least, Amazon’s Fire TV has the decency to call the setting what it is — Automated Content Recognition, although most people might not know what that even means.
To disable it, you’ll want to go to Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings. There you can turn off not only ACR but also Device Usage Data, Collect App and Over-The-Air Data, and Interest-based Ads. Or literally anything else that seems like it wants to spy on you.
Samsung TVs
For Samsung, you’ll want to go to Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Terms & Privacy. There you should disable Viewing Information Services and Interest-Based Advertising. If you have an older Samsung, you might find this setting in the Support > Terms & Policies section.
Sony TVs
Sony decided to call its ACR Samba Interactive TV, another fancy name for effectively the same spying device. You’ll find it in Settings > Initial Setup or All Settings.
Roku TVs
For Roku devices, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV Experience and then disable ACR or Use Info from TV Inputs. In the Privacy section, you also might find Advertising and Microphone settings, and I highly recommend disabling anything in those sub menus.
Vizio TVs
Vizio hid this setting behind the Reset & Admin section. You’ll find it by going through Menu > System > Reset & Admin, where you can then disable Highlight Viewing Data.