Reasons not to connect Smart TV to the Internet

Almost everyone has a Smart TV these days , but not everyone is happy about it. And now, news that Smart TVs are taking pictures and tracking everything you watch down to the millisecond is sure to add to that discontent and give you another reason to ditch your Smart TV.

Smart TVs are capturing everything you do

Privacy concerns are one of the main reasons why you might not want to buy a Smart TV. Now, a 2024 study has found that some of the top Smart TV brands, such as Samsung and LG, are using something called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) to periodically capture what's on screen.

Reasons not to connect Smart TV to the Internet

Once captured, the information is sent back to the company’s servers, where it is analyzed and used to serve targeted ads. Over time, the system builds a unique fingerprint of the content you want to see, delivering increasingly targeted ads to your home.

At a high level, ACR works by periodically capturing the content displayed on the TV screen and comparing it to a content library to detect what is being viewed on the TV. It's essentially Shazam-like technology for audio/video content on Smart TVs.

The study found that Samsung Smart TVs running the Tizen OS can take screenshots every half a second, while LG WebOS TVs can take screenshots every 10 milliseconds. However, Samsung and LG aren't the only ones using ACR technology; the study notes that "ACR is deployed by all major Smart TV manufacturers," but there hasn't been much scrutiny of how this privacy-invasive technology is used.

What’s more, these Smart TVs track on-screen content even when using external devices, with the TV in “brick” mode via HDMI. So when you boot up your console in the evening to play games, ACR technology still tracks your activity and adds it to your user profile.

How to Stop Your Smart TV from Recording Everything You Do

Unfortunately, as you might expect, these companies don’t make it easy to opt out of having everything you do recorded. However, each Smart TV will have a range of options you can change to limit the amount of activity recorded and the data uploaded; research shows that it doesn’t stop the process entirely.

For example, Samsung Smart TVs should reject or change the following settings:

  • Turn off "I consent to viewing information services on this device"
  • Turn off "I consent to interest-based advertisements"
  • Turn off Customization Service
  • Turn on Do not track
  • Turn off Improve personalized ads
  • Turn off Get news and special offers

While LG Smart TV owners should:

  • Enable Limit ad tracking
  • Turn off TV membership agreement for marketing comms
  • Turn on Do not sell my personal information
  • Edit the User Agreement in Privacy and Terms as follows:
    • Turn off:
      • Viewing information agreement
      • Voice information agreement
      • Interest-based & Cross-device advertising agreement
      • Who.Where.What?
  • Turn off Home promotion
  • Turn off Content recommendation
  • Turn off Live plus
  • Turn off AI recommendation (Who.Where.What, Smart Tips)

There are a lot of settings to keep track of, and even then, Smart TVs will still record some data.

The most effective way to prevent your Smart TV from recording your every move and protect your privacy is to stop using your Smart TV completely and switch back to a regular TV if possible. Disconnect your Smart TV from the Internet and switch to an external streaming device instead.

Sign up and earn $1000 a day ⋙

Leave a Comment

6 best apps to install on smart TV

6 best apps to install on smart TV

While you can use it to play games on your console or watch movies or shows on your favorite streaming platform, TV channel, or cable subscription, did you know that it can do so much more?

5 Best 75-inch TVs 2025: Is Your TV One of These?

5 Best 75-inch TVs 2025: Is Your TV One of These?

The growing popularity of large-sized, high-resolution TVs is an example of people's ever-increasing need for entertainment.

Why is Android TV the best Smart TV platform on the market?

Why is Android TV the best Smart TV platform on the market?

There are plenty of Smart TV platforms to choose from, like Apple tvOS and Samsung's Tizen OS. But there's one Smart TV platform that's better than any other: Google's Android TV.

Common Smart TV Problems and How to Fix Them

Common Smart TV Problems and How to Fix Them

Smart TVs are great for streaming content, but no matter how smart they are, you can run into more problems than with a regular TV. Here's how to fix common Smart TV problems!

5 Smart TV Apps You Can Use Without Wi-Fi

5 Smart TV Apps You Can Use Without Wi-Fi

Using a Smart TV without the Internet may seem counterintuitive at first. However, with the right apps installed, you can stay entertained, informed, and even productive.

Change these 5 settings to make your Smart TV more private instantly!

Change these 5 settings to make your Smart TV more private instantly!

The good news is that changing a few key settings can instantly boost your Smart TV's privacy and reduce unnecessary tracking.

7 things that accidentally void your Smart TV warranty

7 things that accidentally void your Smart TV warranty

Smart TV warranties are a safety net, meant to protect you if something goes wrong. However, you can accidentally void your Smart TV warranty without even realizing it.

How to fix the problem of difficult to hear dialogue on Smart TV

How to fix the problem of difficult to hear dialogue on Smart TV

Many users complain that dialogue in movies and TV shows is too quiet compared to other audio or not clear enough to hear on Smart TV.

Alternative solutions when losing Smart TV remote control

Alternative solutions when losing Smart TV remote control

Your Smart TV remote is missing again. Maybe it got stuck between cushions, lost in a pile of laundry, or just disappeared. Before you get frustrated, try these simple solutions to control your Smart TV without having to run all over the house.

Smart TV can replace these 5 gadgets!

Smart TV can replace these 5 gadgets!

Your living room is more cluttered than it needs to be. Smart TVs are so advanced these days that a modern TV comes with a whole layer of convenience that you no longer need.

6 signs its time to upgrade your Smart TV

6 signs its time to upgrade your Smart TV

Smart TVs are the centerpiece of most modern living rooms. But like all technology, they don't last forever.

Do you need both a Smart TV and a streaming device?

Do you need both a Smart TV and a streaming device?

Can a smart TV replace a streaming device, or do they work better together? If you're torn between the two, it's time to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and consider whether owning both is worth it.

6 Reasons to Skip Your Smart TV and Buy a Streaming Stick Instead

6 Reasons to Skip Your Smart TV and Buy a Streaming Stick Instead

After dealing with the clunky interface and sluggish performance, many people have finally decided to ditch Smart TV apps altogether and switch to using the Apple TV 4K full-time.

LG Smart TVs Will Soon Lose One of Their Smart Features

LG Smart TVs Will Soon Lose One of Their Smart Features

This week, many LG smart TV owners (including on Reddit) started seeing warnings that Google Assistant would no longer work as of May 1.

Change these 4 settings to increase your Smart TVs performance

Change these 4 settings to increase your Smart TVs performance

If your Smart TV suddenly becomes sluggish, you don't need to automatically search for an upgrade. Instead, adjust these settings to boost your Smart TV's performance.

External monitors can have a negative impact on laptop batteries.

External monitors can have a negative impact on laptop batteries.

Using a laptop with an external monitor is a great combination for productivity and getting work done. But over time, you may find that your laptop suddenly runs out of battery quickly and the battery life starts to decrease.

8 major disadvantages of foldable screen phones that you didnt expect

8 major disadvantages of foldable screen phones that you didnt expect

There’s no denying that foldable phones are pretty cool. But after using them for a while, there are a few quirks to them. Here are 5 major downsides to foldable phones that you might not expect!

Adobe is bringing AI video creation technology to Premiere Pro

Adobe is bringing AI video creation technology to Premiere Pro

Adobe has brought AI video creation technology to the masses in a new way, although it has yet to create a finished movie using the technology.

Latest Genshin Impact Codes April 2025

Latest Genshin Impact Codes April 2025

Genshin Impact 5.5 Code helps you exchange for Primordial Stones, Magic Minerals, experience and many other rewards.

How to Turn Your iPad into an Extra Mac Display

How to Turn Your iPad into an Extra Mac Display

macOS Catalina and iPadOS include support for a new feature called Sidecar, designed to let you use your iPad as a secondary display for your Mac.

Wallpaper 1280, beautiful Nokia 1280 phone wallpaper

Wallpaper 1280, beautiful Nokia 1280 phone wallpaper

This is a set of Nokia 1280 wallpapers, if you have ever texted to get 1280 wallpapers, brick phone wallpapers, then try looking at these wallpapers.

Hypersonic space plane reaches speed of 11,115 km/h

Hypersonic space plane reaches speed of 11,115 km/h

Venus Aerospace has revealed the first images of its new hypersonic aircraft called the Stargazer, which can reach a top speed of 11,115 km/h, equivalent to Mach 9.

Eating bananas for breakfast helps you reduce bloating

Eating bananas for breakfast helps you reduce bloating

Bloating can happen to anyone. The good news is that breakfast is a great time to add a few ingredients to your meal that can help reduce bloating. That ingredient is bananas.

OpenAI Announces Major Update to AI Image Generation in ChatGPT

OpenAI Announces Major Update to AI Image Generation in ChatGPT

OpenAI has just officially introduced a remarkable upgrade to the AI ​​image generation capability in ChatGPT, an important step forward instead of using a separate image generation model like the previous DALL-E.

Deepseek Releases Free Language Model v3 That Runs Well on Common Hardware Configurations

Deepseek Releases Free Language Model v3 That Runs Well on Common Hardware Configurations

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has just officially released its latest large language model (LLM), DeepSeek-V3-0324.

Reasons to ditch Gboard and switch to Samsung Keyboard

Reasons to ditch Gboard and switch to Samsung Keyboard

Gboard has long been the go-to keyboard on Android phones. However, many people have recently switched to Samsung Keyboard and haven't looked back.

Sweet and Romantic Weekend Wishes for Lovers

Sweet and Romantic Weekend Wishes for Lovers

Send sweet and romantic weekend wishes to your lover. Although they are just words or messages, they will be meaningful spiritual gifts, helping to strengthen your relationship.

Harry Potter TV series needs the following elements to be successful

Harry Potter TV series needs the following elements to be successful

HBO's Harry Potter remake is expected to premiere in 2026. Here's what makes the TV Harry Potter a success.

Stunning pictures of the supermoon from around the world

Stunning pictures of the supermoon from around the world

Beautiful moon pictures are not rare on the Internet. This article will summarize for you the most beautiful moon pictures in the world.

AMD Ryzen Users Should Install This BIOS Update for a Free Performance Boost

AMD Ryzen Users Should Install This BIOS Update for a Free Performance Boost

Now, AMD has responded to the issues with its underperforming flagship CPU line with a new update that could deliver a few more frames per second.