NEW YORK: A new investigation has revealed that many smart televisions are secretly tracking viewers’ habits, collecting detailed data on what people watch and when, often without clear consent. The findings raise fresh concerns about consumer privacy and the growing role of surveillance in everyday technology.
At the center of the controversy is a technology called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). Installed on most modern smart TVs, ACR can capture snippets of audio, video, or even on-screen fingerprints to identify exactly what content is being played whether it’s a streaming show, cable broadcast, DVD, or even content from a connected device through HDMI.
The data doesn’t stay in the living room. According to researchers, the information is routinely transmitted to TV manufacturers, advertising partners, and data brokers, where it is used for targeted advertising, audience measurement, and cross-device tracking. That means a family’s TV habits can help shape the ads they see on their phones, laptops, and other devices.
Alarmingly, experts found that in some cases, tracking continued even when the TV was used as a monitor for external devices like gaming consoles. “This level of monitoring is far beyond what most consumers would expect,” said one digital privacy researcher.
The report also found that many smart TVs ship with tracking features enabled by default, requiring consumers to actively opt out if they can find the option. Surveys show nearly half of smart TV owners are unaware their sets monitor viewing habits at all.
The issue is not without precedent. In 2017, TV maker Vizio was fined by the Federal Trade Commission after secretly tracking users’ viewing data and selling it to advertisers without consent. Yet critics argue little has changed in the industry since then.
Privacy advocates warn that the risk goes beyond targeted ads. Because biometric-like “viewing fingerprints” are unique and permanent, once compromised, users can’t simply change them like a password. “When combined with other personal data, this kind of tracking creates a powerful profile of individuals and households,” experts caution.
Manufacturers, for their part, defend the practice. They argue that tracking helps improve recommendations, tailor content, and keep services affordable. Some companies note that users are given an option to disable tracking though critics say those settings are often buried deep in menus and written in confusing language.
With smart TVs now in over 120 million U.S. households, the debate over privacy and consent is only growing louder. Lawmakers and regulators may soon face pressure to impose stricter rules on how entertainment devices handle personal data.
See Also Amazon Pushes Palm-Print Scanners for Payments at Stores
