Your Smart TV Is Probably Tracking You.

Most smart TVs made in the last decade collect data about everything you watch — and many people don’t realize it.

Back in 2016, Vizio got caught secretly tracking viewing habits using ACR (Automatic Content Recognition), even from HDMI sources like consoles and cable boxes. The FTC fined them in 2017, and after that, every major brand started adding “optional” ACR screens during setup… which most people accept without noticing.

Today, Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku TVs, Hisense, TCL — basically all smart TVs — collect:

• What you watch (via ACR)
• How long you watch it
• What apps you use
• Device and network info
• Voice commands (if voice assistant is enabled)

Streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube track their own data on top of that.

How to protect your privacy:

• ❌ Disable ACR in your TV settings
• ❌ Turn off voice assistants
• ❌ Avoid the built-in apps
• ✔️ Use a streaming stick (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire Stick, Shield)
• ✔️ Block the TV from the internet except for allowed streaming services
• ✔️ Cover built-in cameras and use the TV’s hardware mic switch if available

Smart TVs are convenient — but they’re also powerful data collection devices.
With a few settings and network tweaks, you can keep the entertainment and ditch most of the tracking.