Modern TVs have long ceased to be just screens to view content - these are full -fledged devices with microphones, cameras, voice control and deep collection of personal data. Although these functions are intended to provide convenience, they also open the door to interference with the user's personal life.
According to Android Police, most smart-TB collects e-mail, payment data, geolocation, viewing history and content. These data are used to create personalized advertising, and can also reach third parties - advertisers and analytical companies.
ACR: Invisible data collector
Automatic content recognition (ACR) is one of the key observation technologies. She analyzes what the user looks by comparing the image fragments with a centralized base. This formed a digital viewer profile tied to an IP address, mail or even a physical address.
Although ACR can improve recommendations, it at the same time jeopardizes confidentiality. Disabling this feature is one of the main steps to protect data:
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Samsung TV : Main> Privacy and Choice> Conditions and Terms> Privacy Policy - Remove the check box from the "View Information Services".
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Roku TV : Settings> System> Privacy - Turn on "Restrict Advertising Tracking"; In Smart TV Experience, turn off “Use Information for TV inputs”.
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LG TV : Home> Settings> Basic> System> Additional Settings - Disable Live Plus .
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Sony TV : Home> Settings> Initial Settings> Samba Interactive TV - Disable Samba TV .
Microphone and camera - guards or spies?
Almost all modern TVs have built -in microphones, which even in standby - this is necessary to activate voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, Bixby). However, such constant control can create risks. Users are advised to manually turn off the microphones in settings or restrict voice control.
For the cameras that are in some models (for video or gesture), it is recommended to physically seal them with an opaque ribbon if not used. This is a simple but effective measure.
Interference by third parties and the OS platform
TV brands such as Philips, Tcl, Sharp, Hisense, use Android or Google TV that requires login to Google Account. This automatically activates the transfer of data to Google. To reduce the trace:
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In Android TV: Settings> Legal Information> Device Settings> Privacy - Disable "Use and Diagnosis".
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Settings> Privacy> Advertising - Reset or delete the advertising ID.
TV as a point of fracture
Web browsers on TVs are another weakness. They have no protection like PC or smartphones. Due to the lack of antiviruses and VPN, intruders can interfere with cookies and steal access to banking or social networks.
To avoid this, experts advise you to install VPN-most premium services have apps for Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV and Fire TV. VPN encrypts traffic and protects personal information even at the network level.
