Your smart TV is essentially a data collection device that can also play Netflix and YouTube. And that's not an exaggeration by any means. By default, your smart TV tracks what you watch, constantly uses the microphone, logs your location, and builds an ad profile that gets sold to third parties. Sure, all of this is technically mentioned somewhere on the privacy policy of your TV. But if you don't want to go through that, you can do what I did with my Google TV, which is managing all these privacy settings one by one.
ACR is the first thing to turn off on any TV
Your TV is watching you watch TV
If there's one smart TV feature that invades your privacy more than anything, it's ACR (Automatic Content Recognition). Almost every smart TV on the market has it, but most people don't even have a clue about it because it works entirely in the background. What this feature does is detect what you're watching on your TV. It doesn't matter what streaming app you're using — your manufacturer can tell what movie or TV show is on. Heck, ACR can even identify content when you're watching cable TV, a Blu-ray disc, or gaming on your PS5.
The way ACR works is simple. It constantly captures a snapshot of whatever appears on the screen and compares it to the TV manufacturer's database. It does this every few seconds. So yes, if something is on your screen, ACR is watching it. This profile helps the manufacturer collect data about what you watch, when you watch it, and even how long you stay on something before switching. All of this then gets sold to advertisers. In fact, Vizio got caught doing the exact same thing back in 2017. Unfortunately, nothing has really changed even today. Samsung, LG, Sony, Fire TV, and Roku all run their own versions of ACR under different names. Samsung calls it Viewing Information Services, LG labels it Live Plus, while Fire TV has named it Automatic Content Recognition. Most importantly, all of these are enabled by default. The only good thing here is that you can disable ACR through your TV's settings menu.
To understand the full scope of this privacy issue, it helps to look at the history of ACR. The technology was originally developed by companies like Nielsen to measure TV ratings. But manufacturers quickly realized they could repurpose it for targeted advertising. By 2015, ACR was integrated into most smart TVs as a default feature. The Vizio settlement in 2017 was a landmark case: the company agreed to pay $2.2 million and required user consent for ACR. Yet many other manufacturers continued the practice without clear disclosure. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has since investigated several smart TV makers, but enforcement remains inconsistent. As a result, consumers must take matters into their own hands.
Disabling ACR is usually straightforward. On an Android TV or Google TV, go to Settings > Device Preferences > About > Terms & Privacy and toggle off Usage & Diagnostics and Automatic Content Recognition. On Samsung TVs, the setting is under Settings > Support > Terms & Privacy > Viewing Information Services. LG owners should look for Settings > All Settings > General > About This TV > User Agreements > Live Plus. For Roku TVs, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV Experience and uncheck Use info from TV inputs. Fire TV users can find the option under Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings > Device Usage Data and turn it off. Taking these steps ensures that your TV stops analyzing every frame you watch.
Your TV doesn't need access to microphone, camera, and location services
Less access means less data collection
Let's be honest. Your TV is just a display, and its main job is to show you content. So why would you ever want to give it 24x7 access to a microphone, camera, and location? I get it, microphone access is kind of necessary if you want to use the built-in voice assistants or voice search. But the privacy trade-off is huge because your TV is always listening. And that's not a conspiracy theory—that's just how always-on detection works. Personally, I'd rather give up on voice input and the built-in voice assistant for peace of mind.
The microphone on your TV is typically used for wake words like "Hey Google" or "Alexa." However, even when not actively listening, the device can capture snippets of conversation. In 2019, a report revealed that some smart TVs sent audio recordings to third-party servers for processing, and some of those recordings were reviewed by human employees. This led to a public outcry and prompted companies like Amazon and Google to offer options to delete voice history. But the default setting remains on. To disable the microphone on an Android TV, go to Settings > Device Preferences > Google Assistant > Microphone and turn it off. On other platforms, look for similar settings under Privacy or Voice. If you absolutely need voice commands, consider using a separate smart speaker that you can physically mute when not in use.
Cameras are less common on TVs, and even if your TV has one, you probably don't use it often. Most of the time, it just sits there facing the couch, which means it's better to only enable the camera when you need it. So if the TV has a physical shutter for the camera, use it. If it doesn't, a piece of electrical tape will work just as well. It may not look elegant, but it's certainly effective. Some high-end TVs include cameras for features like video calling or gesture controls. But these features are rarely used, and the camera remains a potential privacy risk. Manufacturers like Sony and Samsung have faced criticism for not clearly disclosing how camera data is handled. In 2021, security researchers found that certain LG smart TVs had vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to access the camera remotely. This underscores the importance of physically blocking the lens.
Finally, location access is one that gets me the most because it's the least useful. It's not like I'm watching the weather or using maps on my TV. In many cases, manufacturers use this location data to get a rough idea of where you live and show ads accordingly. You can disable access to all three of these by heading to Settings > Privacy on most TVs. Specific steps vary: on a Google TV, go to Settings > Privacy > Location and set it to Off. On Samsung TVs, navigate to Settings > General > Privacy > Location Services. On Roku, the option is under Settings > Privacy > Location. By turning off location, you prevent the TV from tying your viewing habits to a geographic area, which further fragments your ad profile.
Resetting advertising ID and switching to a private DNS can help too
Not the most exciting settings, but still important
Every smart TV gets assigned an advertising ID. It's basically a unique identifier that advertisers and ad networks use to track your device across apps and build a profile on you. You can reset this advertising ID to force your TV to generate a new one. This will also erase all the data that's been collected so far. To do this on an Android TV, head to Settings > Privacy > Ads, and choose Reset advertising ID. On a Samsung TV, the option is under Settings > Support > Terms & Privacy > Interest-Based Advertising where you can reset the identifier. Roku users can find it under Settings > Privacy > Advertising. This is a quick action that you can perform periodically, say once every few months, to keep your activity from being aggregated over long periods.
The private DNS is a different kind of privacy fix. By default, your TV uses the DNS server assigned by your ISP. That means your ISP can see every domain your TV tries to reach, every ad server it pings, every analytics endpoint it phones home to, all of it. Switching to a third-party DNS like Cloudflare or Quad9 takes that visibility away from your ISP. It's not just about privacy, either. Some DNS providers can even help you unlock geo-restricted content, while some offer ad-blocking. To change DNS servers on your Android TV, head to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet > IP settings and choose Static. Leave IP address and Gateway as they are and enter your preferred DNS addresses in DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields. For Cloudflare, use 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. For Quad9, use 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112. On other smart TV platforms, the process may differ. For example, on Roku TVs, you cannot change DNS directly; you would need to configure it at the router level. Similarly, Fire TV allows you to set a static IP and DNS under Settings > Network.
Beyond these core changes, there are additional steps you can take. Review the list of installed apps on your TV and uninstall any that you don't use. Pre-installed apps often run in the background and collect data. Also disable any personalized advertising or interest-based ads in the TV's settings. Consider using a separate streaming device like an Apple TV or a Fire TV stick that you have more control over, rather than the built-in smart TV interface. However, even external devices can have privacy issues, so apply similar settings there.
The broader context of smart TV privacy is that manufacturers have a financial incentive to collect and sell data. According to a 2023 report by the Consumer Reports Digital Lab, smart TVs from major brands send data about your viewing habits to dozens of third-party companies, including advertisers, analytics firms, and even data brokers. The report found that a typical smart TV transmitted data every 5 seconds during use. This constant stream of information creates a detailed profile that can be used for targeted ads, credit scoring, or even insurance risk assessment. While regulations like the GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in California have given consumers some rights, enforcement is often slow, and many users remain unaware of the extent of tracking.
By following the steps outlined above—disabling ACR, revoking unnecessary permissions, resetting the advertising ID, and using a private DNS—you can reclaim a significant portion of your privacy. These settings are not hidden; they are accessible through the TV's menu, though you may need to dig a bit. The effort is well worth it, as the alternative is a living room that functions as a surveillance hub. Remember, your TV's primary purpose is to entertain you, not to serve as a data-collection endpoint for corporations. Take control of your settings and enjoy your shows without the feeling that someone is watching you watch them.
Source: MakeUseOf News