How to Stop Your Smart TV From Tracking You
Smart TVs offer a wide range of features—streaming apps, voice controls, and personalized content suggestions. But these conveniences come at a cost: your privacy. Many Smart TVs track your viewing habits and device usage through features like Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) to serve targeted ads or share data with third parties.
If you’re concerned about your privacy, here's how you can stop your Smart TV from tracking you.
Why Do Smart TVs Track You?
Smart TVs collect data to:
Show personalized ads
Monitor what you watch (live TV, streaming, or even external devices)
Improve content recommendations
Share data with advertisers or analytics companies
The tracking usually happens through ACR technology, which identifies the content playing on your screen—regardless of the source.
How to Disable Tracking on Popular Smart TV Brands
📺 Samsung Smart TV
Go to Settings > Support > Terms & Privacy.
Select Viewing Information Services – Turn it Off
Disable Internet-Based Advertising under the Privacy settings
Turn off Voice Recognition Services if not needed
📺 LG Smart TV (webOS)
Go to Settings > All Settings > General > About This TV > User Agreements
Uncheck:
Voice Information
Viewing Information
Interest-Based Advertisement
You can also opt out of personalized ads from the LG Content Store settings
📺 Sony Smart TV (Android/Google TV)
Settings > Device Preferences > About > Legal Information > Ads
Toggle Opt out of Ads Personalization
Go to Settings > Privacy and disable Usage & Diagnostics
You may also disable Google Assistant voice collection if not in use
📺 Roku TVs
Settings > Privacy > Smart TV Experience
Disable options like:
Use Information for TV Inputs
A/V Testing
In Advertising, enable Limit Ad Tracking
📺 Fire TV (Amazon)
Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings
Turn off:
Device Usage Data
Collect App Usage Data
In Advertising ID, enable Limit Ad Tracking
Additional Steps to Improve Privacy
Avoid signing in to unnecessary accounts
Disable voice assistant features if not needed
Use a VPN to encrypt internet traffic (for supported TVs)
Avoid accepting all user agreements blindly
Keep your TV software up to date, but review new privacy terms before accepting them
Conclusion
Smart TVs offer a connected, convenient experience, but they often come with hidden data tracking. Taking control of your privacy settings and limiting tracking features ensures you can enjoy your TV without compromising your personal data.
