Your smart TV is essentially a data collection device that can also play Netflix and YouTube. That is not an exaggeration. 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. While all of this is technically mentioned somewhere in the privacy policy, most people never read it. Instead, you can do what I did with my Google TV: manage 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 is one smart TV feature that invades your privacy more than any other, it is Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). Almost every smart TV on the market has it, but most people do not even know it exists because it works entirely in the background. What this feature does is detect what you are watching on your TV. It does not matter what streaming app you are using — the manufacturer can tell what movie or TV show is on. ACR can even identify content when you are watching cable TV, a Blu-ray disc, or gaming on a 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 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 gets sold to advertisers. In fact, Vizio got caught doing exactly this back in 2017. Unfortunately, nothing has really changed since then. 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.
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 24/7 access to a microphone, camera, and location? Microphone access is necessary if you want to use built-in voice assistants or voice search. But the privacy trade-off is huge because your TV is always listening. That is not a conspiracy theory — that is how always-on detection works. Personally, I would rather give up voice input and the built-in voice assistant for peace of mind.
Cameras are less common on TVs, and even if your TV has one, you probably do not use it often. Most of the time it just sits there facing the couch, which means it is better to only enable the camera when you need it. If the TV has a physical shutter for the camera, use it. If it does not, a piece of electrical tape works just as well. It may not look elegant, but it is effective. Finally, location access is one that gets me the most because it is the least useful. It is not like I am 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.
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 is 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 has been collected so far. To do this on an Android TV, head to Settings > Privacy > Ads, and choose Reset advertising ID.
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 is 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 an 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 the DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields.
Beyond these core settings, you can also review app permissions individually. Many streaming apps request access to your microphone and location even if they do not need them. Revoking unnecessary permissions reduces the attack surface. Additionally, consider disabling automatic software updates if you want to avoid potential privacy changes introduced by manufacturers. However, security patches are important, so weigh the risks carefully. Another useful step is to opt out of interest-based advertising through the TV's ad settings, which is often separate from the advertising ID reset.
For users with older smart TVs that are no longer receiving updates, the best option may be to disconnect the TV from the internet entirely and use an external streaming device. Devices like Apple TV or Chromecast often have more privacy controls and are updated more frequently. Alternatively, you can use a dedicated streaming box with a privacy-focused OS, such as one running the open-source Kodi platform with appropriate add-ons.
It is also worth noting that smart TV manufacturers are not the only ones collecting data. The apps themselves — like Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu — also track your viewing habits. Using a VPN on your router can help obscure your traffic from both the TV manufacturer and your ISP. However, some streaming services block VPN connections, so you may need to experiment with different server locations.
Ultimately, the biggest privacy leak in your living room is often the TV itself. By taking a few minutes to adjust settings, you can significantly reduce the amount of data your TV sends out. The steps outlined here apply to most modern smart TVs, though the exact menu names may vary. Your TV should serve you, not advertisers. So take control of its settings and reclaim your privacy.
Source:MakeUseOf News