Is Your TV Watching You? Disabling creepy advertising features.
As TVs become smarter, they bring new privacy concerns. Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) is one such concern, collecting data on everything you watch and transmitting it to a centralized database. Manufacturers use this data for targeted ads, and in 2022 alone, advertisers spent $18.6 billion on smart TV ads.
ACR works like a constant, real-time Shazam service, identifying content on your screen by capturing screenshots and cross-referencing them with a media database. This tracking can connect your viewing habits to personal information like email, IP addresses, and even your physical address. Marketers use this data to tailor ads and content recommendations, but it also poses risks if misused.
If you find this intrusive, here’s how to disable ACR on major TV brands:
How to Turn Off ACR on a Samsung TV
Press the Home button on your remote.
Access the sidebar menu by navigating left.
Choose Privacy Choices.
Select Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy.
Ensure the checkbox for Viewing Information Services is unchecked to turn off ACR.
Confirm changes by selecting OK.
LG TVs:
Press the Home button.
Access Settings.
Select General, then System.
Go to Additional Settings and toggle off Live Plus.
To limit ad tracking, go to Advertisement in Additional Settings and toggle on Limit AD Tracking.
Turn off home promotions and content recommendations in Home Settings.
Sony TVs:
Press the Home button and access Settings.
Choose Initial Setup, then Samba Interactive TV, and select Disable.
To disable ad personalization, go to Settings > About > Ads and turn off Ads Personalization.
For extra privacy, disable the Samba Services Manager in Settings > Apps.
If using Android TV, turn off data collection for Chromecast via the Google Home app on your phone.
Vizio TVs:
Press the Home button and access Settings.
Choose System > Privacy.
Toggle off Smart TV Experience or similar to disable ACR.
Disable personalized ads in the Privacy menu by turning off Ad Tracking and content recommendations.
TCL (Roku-powered) TVs:
Press the Home button and access Settings.
Select Privacy > Smart TV Experience and toggle off Use Info from TV Inputs.
For extra privacy, limit ad tracking and disable personalized ads in the Privacy menu.
Remember, these steps may reduce smart features on your TV. Also, check settings periodically, especially after software updates, as they may revert to defaults. Disabling ACR helps protect your privacy and keeps your data to yourself.
Original article source can be found here.