We know that our phones and PCs collect our data; perhaps many of us are okay with this. But did you also know that your smart TV could collect your data?
Like phones and PCs, many smart TVs collect data. They record what we watch, much like how our devices track our online activities. For instance, some TVs are equipped with Automatic content recognition (ACR), a feature that scrutinizes everything happening on your TV.
This ACR lets your TV know when you are playing video games, streaming movies from a separate Blu-Ray player, or casting movies from your phone.
Microphones on your TV also capture your voice, as do TVs with cameras, which use video capture to capture what you do while sitting in front of the TV.
Here is how you can stop TV from collecting your data:
Opt-out of Data Collection
Thankfully, most TVs offer a way to opt out of more scrutinizing data collection forms, like those of ACR.
There is no single guide on where to opt out due to the vast difference in where manufacturers hide this feature, but you can mess around in your TV settings and menus to find data settings and such.
Disable Data tracking on Your TV
Another way to opt out of data collection is to disable data tracking. Different manufacturers offer different ways to disable data tracking.
For example, to disable data tracking on your Samsung TV, here is a rough guide on how to do it:
- Go to Menu>Settings>All Settings.
- Go to Terms and Privacy or Terms and Policy (It might be under General Privacy if you do not find it).
- Select Privacy Choices>Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy.
- Select Enable to make content and advertising on Smart TV more interactive to opt out of data gathering.
- Use the Consent Status so that you disable options such as “I consent to view Information Services on this Device” and “I consent to Interest-based Advertisements.”
- Go to General & Privacy > Voice and review the privacy policy to see if it includes voice assistants. If activated, opt-out to withdraw consent.
If you want to know how to opt out of data collection from other televisions, click here.
