How to turn off ACR on your TV (and what your TV stops tracking when you do)

Did you know that whenever you turn on your smart TV, you invite an unseen guest to watch it with you?

These days, most popular TV models utilize automatic content recognition (ACR), a form of ad surveillance technology that gathers information about everything you watch and transmits it to a centralized database. Manufacturers then use your data to identify your viewing preferences, enabling them to deliver highly targeted ads.

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What’s the incentive behind this invasive technology? According to market research firm eMarketer, in 2022, advertisers spent an estimated $18.6 billion on smart TV ads, and those numbers are only going up.

To understand how ACR works, imagine a constant, real-time Shazam-like service running in the background while your TV is on. It identifies content displayed on your screen, including programs from cable TV boxes, streaming services, or gaming consoles. ACR does this by capturing continuous screenshots and cross-referencing them with a vast database of media content and advertisements.

According to The Markup, ACR can capture and identify up to 7,200 images per hour, or approximately two images every second. This extensive tracking offers money-making insights for marketers and content distributors because it can reveal connections between viewers’ personal information and their preferred content. By “personal information,” I mean email addresses, IP addresses — and even your physical street address.

By understanding what viewers watch and engage with, marketers can make decisions on content recommendations to create bespoke advertising placements. They can also track advertisements that lead to purchases.

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But the most disturbing part is the potential for exploitation. In the wrong hands, sensitive information gathered through ACR could be exploited or misused, which may result in security risks or, at worst, identity theft.

Because ACR operates clandestinely in the background, many of us aren’t even aware of its active presence each time we’re enjoying our favorite shows. Opting out of using ACR is complex and sometimes challenging. Navigating through your TV settings might take several dozen clicks to protect your privacy better.

If you, like me, perceive this feature to be intrusive or unsettling, there’s a way to dismiss this data collection feature on your smart TV. It might take some patience, but below is a How-To list for five major brands demonstrating how to turn off ACR.

How to turn off ACR on a smart TV

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Remember that while these steps will significantly reduce data collection, they may also limit some smart features of your TV. Also, it’s a good idea to periodically check these settings to ensure they remain as you’ve set them. Especially after software updates, your revised settings may sometimes revert to their default state.

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The driving force behind targeted advertisements on smart TVs is ACR technology, and its inclusion speaks volumes about manufacturers’ focus on monetizing user data rather than prioritizing consumer interests.

For most of us, ACR offers few tangible benefits, while the real-time sharing of our viewing habits and preferences exposes us to potential privacy risks. By disabling ACR, you can help keep your data to yourself, and enjoy viewing with some peace of mind.

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