The holiday season is prime time for upgrading TVs and home gadgets, all in the name of cozy winter entertainment. The days get shorter, the couch gets more inviting, and suddenly a bigger, smarter screen feels like a necessity. So a Smart TV moves into your living room, promising endless streaming, easy apps, and a simpler viewing experience.
And yes, it delivers what’s been promised, but what hasn't been advertised quite as loudly is that, like that nosy neighbor who always seems to know who’s home, many Smart TVs don’t just watch with you, they watch you. Once connected to the internet, these devices can quietly collect information about what’s on your screen, how long you watch, and how you interact with your TV. In some cases, they’re paying attention hundreds of times per second. It’s enough that even the FBI has warned consumers to think twice about the privacy tradeoffs of Smart TVs.
Many models use a feature called Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR. This technology can identify what you’re watching by capturing screen data in near real time and sending it back to manufacturers or third parties without the user’s knowledge or consent. And it’s not limited to Netflix or live TV. If you connect a laptop, gaming console, or other device, the TV may still be keeping score. Add in microphones for voice commands, or cameras, and your TV can also collect audio and video data when those features are enabled. All of this information can be bundled together, combined with data from other sources, and sold to advertisers eager to know what catches your attention. This technology puts users’ privacy and sensitive information, such as passwords, bank information, and other personal information at risk.
A research team who monitored Samsung and LG Smart TVs in both the U.S. and the U.K. found that these devices captured screenshots multiple times per second and transmitted them to external servers. Such is the seriousness of the situation that, this past December, the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, filed lawsuits against several major television manufacturers over alleged consumer data privacy violations.
The good news is that you can pull the blinds. While you can’t stop all the data collection, you can at least reduce how much your TV reports back with a few small changes:
- Turn off ACR and viewing data tracking: in your TV’s settings, look for “Privacy,” “Viewing Information,” or “Automatic Content Recognition”, and disable or limit these features.
- Don’t auto-agree after updates: software updates often sneak in new data-sharing permissions without alerting you. Pause before clicking “Accept” and decline optional tracking.
- Turn off personalized ads: Opt out of ad personalization to limit how much viewing data is collected and sold.
Look for physical controls: Streaming apps usually do not need microphone or camera access. Disable unnecessary permissions. - Keep an eye on network activity: Your router can reveal whether your TV is communicating frequently with unfamiliar servers. Some routers allow you to restrict internet access to essential services only.
- Use platform privacy controls: Roku, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Android TV all include privacy controls under settings related to ads, data collection, or viewing behavior.
- Stay updated: Regular updates help patch security bugs that could otherwise turn your TV into an easy target.
One more thing to keep in mind: when you turn your TV “off,” it may just be pretending to nap. Many Smart TVs enter a standby mode that keeps network connections alive for updates, voice activation, and sometimes background data collection. If you want real silence, look for a physical microphone mute button, unplug the TV when it’s not in use, or use a power strip you can flip off with one satisfying click. Some people even skip Wi-Fi entirely and use external streaming devices for more control.
A Smart TV doesn’t have to be that neighbor. With a few thoughtful adjustments, you can help keep your Smart TV focused on entertainment rather than observation. And thankfully, protecting your privacy doesn’t require going back to those massive box TVs that didn’t even come with a remote; if you were the smallest child in the house, you may remember… you were the remote.