You probably thought you scored an incredible deal on that massive 4K television last Black Friday. What you didn't realize is that the hardware was subsidized by data brokers.
Modern Smart TVs from major manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and Vizio operate less like traditional televisions and more like aggressive surveillance devices. By default, they use a technology called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) to scan exactly what you are watching—whether it is a streaming app, a Blu-ray disc, or live cable—and sell that behavioral data to advertisers.
Fortunately, you are not locked into this data harvesting. You can disable ACR and reclaim the privacy of your living room right now.
How to Turn Off ACR on Samsung TVs
Samsung refers to its tracking program as "Viewing Information Services," and it is usually buried deep within the settings menu.
- Press the Home button on your remote and navigate to Settings.
- Select Support, then scroll down to Terms & Privacy.
- Select Privacy Choices.
- Uncheck the box for Viewing Information Services to disable ACR.
- While you are there, uncheck Interest-Based Advertisements to stop receiving targeted ads on your home screen.
How to Turn Off ACR on LG TVs
LG uses a feature called "Live Plus" to monitor your screen activity.
- Press the Settings button on your remote (the gear icon) and select All Settings.
- Navigate to General, then scroll down to System.
- Select Additional Settings, then click on Live Plus.
- Toggle the switch to Off.
- Return to the General menu, select Advertisement, and enable Do Not Sell My Personal Information.
How to Turn Off ACR on Roku TVs (TCL, Hisense)
If you have a TV with Roku built-in, the tracking is baked directly into the operating system.
- Press the Home button and navigate to Settings.
- Scroll down and select Privacy, then click on Smart TV Experience.
- Uncheck the box that says Use Info from TV Inputs.
- Go back to the Privacy menu, select Advertising, and check the box for Limit ad tracking.
The Ultimate Privacy Fix
If you do not want to constantly monitor firmware updates to ensure these settings stay off, there is a permanent solution: disconnect the TV from your Wi-Fi entirely.
Purchase an external streaming device, like an Apple TV 4K, which has strict, built-in privacy controls that prevent apps from tracking you. Plug it into your TV's HDMI port, perform a factory reset on the television itself, and never connect the TV to your home network again. You get all the benefits of a "dumb" TV while maintaining access to all your favorite streaming platforms through the secure Apple ecosystem.
