Smart TV Data Collection: What You Need to Know

Samsung has settled a lawsuit with the Texas Attorney General over its smart TV data collection practices. The company agreed to stop collecting Automated Content Recognition (ACR) data from Texans without explicit consent.

Understanding ACR and Its Implications

ACR works by taking tiny samples of the sound or picture from your screen, turning them into a unique fingerprint, and comparing it to a database to find a match. This allows companies to build profiles used for advertising and monetization.

However, the Texas AG argues that customers did not meaningfully consent to this data collection, framing it as deliberate monitoring.

Disabling ACR on Your Smart TV

To limit or disable ACR-style monitoring, follow these steps for your TV brand:

Samsung: Go to Settings → Support → Terms & Privacy → Privacy Choices and turn off Viewing Information Services.
LG TVs (webOS): Press Settings, go to All Settings → General → System → Additional Settings, and set Live Plus to off.
Vizio TVs: Press Menu, go to System → Reset & Admin, and turn off Viewing Data.
Sony TVs (Google TV / Android TV): Go to Settings → All Settings → Privacy and toggle Samba Interactive TV off.
Roku TVs: Go to Settings → Privacy, uncheck Personalize ads, and turn off Use info from TV inputs.

Meanwhile, it’s essential to be aware of the data collection practices of your smart TV and take steps to protect your privacy.

Additionally, consider downloading Malwarebytes to keep your devices safe from cybersecurity risks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, smart TV data collection is a significant concern. By understanding ACR and taking steps to disable it, you can protect your privacy and limit the amount of data collected by companies.

Therefore, it’s crucial to stay informed and take action to safeguard your personal data.