Google might not employ ACR, but it does collect data from TVs that use its smart TV platform-and there’s no opting out of Google’s policies during setup if you want smart TV functionality.ĭuring the initial setup, you can forgo Google TV and just set up a basic TV. However, individual TV brands may do so, and they have their own privacy policies and user agreements. Google says the Google TV platform itself doesn’t use ACR technology to capture specific content that’s being watched. On older sets, you may have to go to Applications rather than Preferences to adjust your privacy settings. You can also reset the TV to its factory defaults here. You’ll find both the privacy policy and a privacy settings FAQ for Fire TVs and certain other Amazon devices. You can find out more about Amazon’s policies by going to Settings > Device and Software > Legal & Compliance. You’ll still see ads they just won’t be personalized. Turning off Interest-Based Ads will affect not just your TV but also other Amazon devices, such as an Echo smart speaker. (Note: Turning it off won’t affect data related to your use of Amazon services, such as Amazon Prime Video, or data collection by Fire TV Recast devices-Amazon’s over-the-air DVR-if you’re using one.) There’s also an option that lets you reset the advertising ID, which can reduce tracking.ĭevice Usage Data collects information on how you use the TV, for advertising and marketing purposes.Ĭollect App and Over-the-Air Usage Data collects info on what you watch if you use an antenna, and the frequency and duration of your use of third-party apps. All are on by default, but you can turn them off. Under Privacy Settings there are options for Device Usage Data, Collect App and Over-the-Air Usage, and Interest-Based Ads. To turn off programming data collection, go to Settings through either the home screen or the button on the remote > Preferences > Privacy Settings. With either option, you have to agree to Amazon’s privacy policies and terms and conditions during the initial setup. Choosing Full Experience gets you hundreds more channels and apps, the use of the Alexa voice service, and the ability to sign into (or create) an Amazon account. (On earlier Fire TVs, you could sign into Amazon, or decline to.) If you choose the latter you only have access to live TV, plus five streaming services: Amazon Prime Video, HBO, Now, Hulu, Netflix, and Sling. (Of course, if you watch anything from Amazon Prime video, the company also knows those details.)ĭuring setup, you’re prompted to choose either a Full or Basic Experience. However, the system does collect information on programs you watch using an antenna and through streaming apps, such as Netflix, that are available through the Fire TV platform. Scroll down, or click a link to go right to your own set’s smart TV platform: Changing the ID periodically can reduce tracking. You can also reset something called the advertiser ID, which companies use to compile information on you. Below are instructions for turning off ACR in the major smart TV platforms, covering sets from LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio Google TVs from companies such as Hisense, Philips, and TCL Roku sets from such brands as Hisense, Insignia, Roku, and TCL and Amazon Fire TV Edition sets from Amazon, Hisense, Insignia, and Toshiba. There’s no need to give them your personal data, too. You’ve already paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for your TV. You can say no so some data collection, but it’s tricky to do this when you first set up a new TV, and even harder to pull off later. Since then, TV companies have been more careful to ask for permission before collecting viewing data. Vizio got in trouble with federal and state regulators back in 2017 for collecting such data without users’ knowledge or consent. And it isn’t always easy to review or delete this data later. But the data can also be used for targeting ads to you and your family, and for other purposes. This smart TV technology attempts to identify every show you watch-including programs and movies you get via cable, over-the-air broadcasts, streaming services, and even Blu-ray discs.ĪCR, which goes by a variety of names, can help your set recommend shows you might want to watch. We’ve found that you can’t stop all the data collection, but you can reduce the snooping by turning off a technology called automatic content recognition, or ACR. We’ve been analyzing smart TV data practices in our labs since 2018, and we incorporate our findings into all of our TV ratings each year. Consumer Reports started reporting on this kind of data collection back in 2015.
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