5 Tweaks to Stop Your Smart TV from Tracking You

If your Smart TV  could talk, it would give away all your viewing secrets. Luckily, you can stop it from revealing what you're watching at 2 a.m. to everyone.

Turn off Automatic Content Recognition

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) is the silent watcher on your Smart TV. It scans everything playing on screen, whether it's live TV, streaming apps, or even a game console. This information is then sent back to the manufacturer or advertising partners to build a detailed profile of your viewing habits.

1. To stop this feature, go to Settings , then General and open System .
2. From there, click Additional Settings and turn off Live Plus .
3. In Additional Settings , you should also turn off Home Promotion and Content Recommendation . To do this, go to Home Settings , where you'll find the option to turn off Home Promotion completely.

Turn off voice assistant and microphone access

Smart TVs now come with built-in voice assistants, like Google Assistant and ThinQ AI. They let you search for shows, adjust the volume, or ask questions using just your voice. While that sounds convenient, it also means that the TV's microphone is always on, waiting for commands.

Manufacturers say recording only starts after hearing the wake word, but smart devices can mishear and capture parts of your conversation. These clips can be stored to improve voice recognition, but the fact that your TV can record private conversations is annoying, especially if you don't use voice commands often.

Cover or turn off the Camera (if your Smart TV has a camera)

Some high-end TVs have built-in cameras for video calling or gesture control. These features sound impressive, but pointing a lens into your living room all day isn't exactly a pleasant thing to do.

If your TV has a physical shutter, slide it down when you're not using the camera. For an external webcam, unplug it. If you have no other options, cover the lens with opaque tape or a sliding webcam cover to completely block the view.

Just as you wouldn't leave your laptop webcam exposed in private places, treat your TV camera the same way.

Limit account login and app tracking

Every time you log in to your Smart TV or the apps on your TV, they are allowed to track your activity. Logging in to your TV account doesn't just allow updates or downloads; it also allows the manufacturer to track how you use your TV, which apps you open the most, and how long you watch them.

For apps you use on your TV, make sure their privacy settings are set up correctly. Look for options to turn off personalized recommendations, usually under Support, Privacy & Terms, or Advertisement.

Unplug or disconnect the TV when not in use.

Turning off the TV with the remote control does not turn it off completely. Instead, the TV goes into standby mode, staying partially on so it can start up faster the next time you use it.

In standby mode, the TV still connects to the Internet to check for updates or, on some models, to listen for voice commands. So even when the TV appears to be off, it's still using power and maintaining a network connection.

To completely turn off and disconnect your TV, unplug it or power it off. This will stop any background activity and ensure there is no silent power usage when the TV is not in use.

David Pac

Update 17 July 2025