How Your New Smart TV is Affecting Your Privacy

Smart TVs are collecting your personal data through means you may not be aware of

It may be well known that many smart devices are recording personal data as you use them throughout the house, but one device that seems to be overlooked is your smart TV. While they are not obtaining information in the same sense as devices that are able to listen to your conversations or record your internet search activity, this hasn’t stopped them from collecting plenty of data points.

One example: In 2017, Vizio was caught recording data on their customers without their consent or knowledge, leading to a $2.2 million settlement. Although that case may have been more extreme than most, there are still legal ways in which smart TVs are collecting data, some of which can be quite invasive.

Smarter than you think

The primary method of Smart TV data collection is through a built-in technology called ACR (Automatic Content Recognition), which extracts information about your viewing habits. This technology can access what you’re watching, when you’re watching it, and your provider information. If you use your smart TV to access services outside of cable TV such as the internet, it can collect information from those sources as well.

Any personal information that TV companies collect can then be sold to companies to tailor content and personalize ads. This is no different than other smart devices selling your information to third parties and data brokers, but because TVs can record data that other devices can’t, such as viewing habits, it further increases the invasion upon your privacy.

How to outsmart them

You don’t have to go find a used TV from the 90s to take back your privacy. The first thing you can do is disable ACR, which can usually be done in the setting of your TV. This will only limit the amount of data being collected, not stop the collection all together.

Smart TVs connect to the Internet through the same Wi-Fi connection as your computers and mobile devices, so the best protection is to have good security on your home network. If you are still concerned about giving your smart TV access to your information, you can connect other devices that are easier to secure, such as a laptop with a VPN or gaming console to your TV to stream shows and movies. Small steps such as these allow you to regain some control over your data privacy, while still allowing you to access the streaming services you love.

As companies continue to come up with new ways to harvest your data, it's important to protect your data when you can. Safe practices such as the ones listed, coupled with a privacy protection plan, remain the best way to protect your personal information from companies and bad actors.