Is your Smart TV spying on you?

Many people love the convenience of on-demand TV, but it doesn't take long for them to realize that their Smart TV  is collecting and using their data. If you don't take a few precautions, your TV will too.

How Smart TVs Can Track You

While TV manufacturers claim to primarily use user data to improve their services, here are some ways your information can be extracted and used for various purposes or financial gain:

Collect data based on user viewing habits

Many Smart TVs use Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) to track your viewing habits. They can even use non-streaming protocols, like HDMI , to send data back to the manufacturer or share data with advertisers. TVs can also build profiles of your viewing habits to create targeted ads tailored to your interests. Even if you find these services useful, they're still a privacy violation.

Microphone monitoring and voice assistant

If your remote control has a microphone for giving voice commands, you run the risk of your Smart TV listening to and recording your voice. Specific keywords or 'wake words' can trigger the device to record and share your spoken information with cloud servers for processing.

Track applications

Smart TVs can track your app usage, including which apps you use, what content you view on those apps, the time of day, and how long you use them. While this information is used to make better recommendations or improve the service, it may also be analyzed and used for monetization purposes.

Wi-Fi Network Monitoring

Smart TVs are designed to work with other connected devices that share a Wi-Fi network, for example, to stream and share files. Your TV can catalog connected devices around your home and record this data for sharing. You should properly secure your Wi-Fi network to protect your smart TV from spyware and other malicious programs, and take steps to protect yourself from data collection.

How to Protect Yourself from Smart TV Surveillance

You should be aware of how to protect yourself from smart TV data collection. You may want to use some or all of the following methods to prevent this:

1. Turn off ACR : The first step to ensuring your TV isn't collecting data is to turn off Automatic Content Recognition in your TV's settings menu. Look for Terms and Privacy , Privacy Settings , Viewing Data Collection , or something similar. You'll then be able to select the option to turn it off.
2. Turn off voice recognition : The same goes for voice recognition on your smart remote. If you're not using it, just turn it off. This will prevent it from eavesdropping on your wake words and potentially using the information you say.
3. Check the privacy policy : It's best to opt out of data collection whenever you're given the option to do so. Often, you can protect yourself from harm simply by reading the fine print and checking (or unchecking) the appropriate boxes.
4. Not connected to the internet : A Smart TV isn't 'smart' if you never go online. However, if you mostly use external devices and use your Smart TV offline, there's no reason to leave yourself vulnerable to hackers and data collection. While this may seem extreme, it's the only way to protect yourself from outside influence and data collection.

For many of us, data collection isn't a major inconvenience or a threat to our quality of life. But it is an ethical issue. You may not mind your TV manufacturer or streaming service provider making helpful recommendations or using your data to improve services you pay a significant amount of money for each month. But if your data is sold to a third party, you'll want to know when and why it's being used.

We've given up much of our privacy for online convenience, so many people want the TV to at least be able to track them while they're watching their favorite shows.

Kareem Winters

Update 22 April 2025