Your Smart TV Knows What You’re Watching – The Markup
themarkup.org
Here’s how to turn off “automated content recognition,” the Shazam-like software on smart TVs that tracks what you’re watching

These TVs can capture and identify 7,200 images per hour, or approximately two every second. The data is then used for content recommendations and ad targeting, which is a huge business; advertisers spent an estimated $18.6 billion on smart TV ads in 2022, according to market research firm eMarketer.

  • AstralPath@lemmy.ca
    471·
    1 year ago

    If there are any unsecured networks in your vicinity it might be telling on you without you knowing.

    • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
      271·
      1 year ago

      Pull one of your old routers from the back of closet, and use it to make a completely new network just for your TV. If you don’t connect the router to the rest of the internet, your TV is happy to connect to something, and you get to keep your privacy a little bit longer.

        • this@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          7·
          1 year ago

          If you have a nice enough router you could connect your TV to it and block its Mac address maybe.

          • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
            6·
            1 year ago

            Or maybe configure the firewall to block/allow only very specific things. It’s a bit more technical than just plugging in an Ethernet cable though…

        • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
          92·
          1 year ago

          Cause it still works, doesn’t take up much space, and doesn’t really eat a whole lot just siting there.

          Also, 2 is one, 1 is none. Good to have a fall back in case hardware dies

    • Spotlight7573@lemmy.worldEnglish
      17·
      1 year ago

      I’m a little surprised we haven’t heard about one of these smart TV brands using something like Amazon Sidewalk yet to communicate the analyzed data:

      https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Sidewalk/

      A popular brand could totally set up their own network like this and with apartments there would probably be sufficient density to ensure that there’s always at least one connected device nearby to act as a bridge.

    • KptnAutismus@lemmy.world
      7·
      1 year ago

      if you’re this paranoid, just buy one of those mcdonalds menu screen tvs or just rip out all of the wifi electronics. i can imagine it being one of those standard modules like in laptops.

    • CrayonRosary@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think so. The first step when connecting to WiFi is to agree to the terms of service that allow the manufacturer to legallly spy on you. Without agreeing to that, they’d be breaking the law.

      • AstralPath@lemmy.ca
        2·
        1 year ago

        I’m too skeptical to default to the whole “corporations will abide by the law” thing anymore. I’m willing to accept that I might be wrong though. There have just been too many times where I’ve pessimistically remarked on a situation like this as a sort of half joke only to find out that I was right and it was actually worse than I initially assumed.