5 sneaky spyware settings on your TV you should change ASAP

Your smart TV gathers a lot of information on you, and chances are, you don’t want it to know as much as you do. A smart TV is essentially a computer, and when it’s connected to the online world, it can log, store, and transmit plenty of data simply based on what you’re watching. And with all that information, it can do some things that may be helpful to you, like suggest to you a title you might like, or let you start a movie without touching the remote.

However, it can do a lot of things that may try to exploit you in one way or another. Here are all the privacy settings you should know about your smart TV.

1 Automatic content recognition

Logging what comes across your screen

One of the major ways a TV can get to know a lot about you in a short time is through automatic content recognition. Basically, your TV keeps tracks of everything you watch (and play), and for how long you’re watching. This data allows the TV to get a pretty good idea not only your viewing habits and entertainment interests, but also who you are as a person. That includes your age, race, religion, relationship status, and political leanings. All of that information is very useful to many groups, particularly those who make content and want to sell you things.

That’s why it’s important to turn off ACR as soon as you get the chance. While you may not get the algorithm to suggest to you the right content all the time, it’s more than worth the sacrifice.

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2 Ad personalization and suggestions

Offering up what you might like

This privacy concern is fairly straightforward, as it pops up a lot across websites and social media platforms. This setting will take what you’re watching regularly and use it to tailor ads for you. However, it’s not just what you’re watching that it takes note of. With your smart TV hooked up to your Wi-Fi, it will also take note of what you browse and what any other connected devices are doing.

This can pop up in a few different ways, and they tend to be annoying and a little creepy. Anything related to internet-based ads or pesonalized advertising will want to be turned off to avoid your TV keeping tabs on what you consume online across various devices.

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3 Voice recognition tracking

Commands help train the future

Enabling voice control is a tricky subject. Wielding a virtual assistant in the form of Alexa or Siri has certainly become normalized, and there are plenty of individuals who love the convenience. Still, there is reason to be concerned over who’s listening and what they will do with that information, especially because there has been a long history of companies eavesdropping and data being collected without your knowledge. Amazon just announced that its “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature on Echo devices will be discontinued, so now everything will be sent!

There are a lot of reasons to not like this. One is that companies are going to use your commands to learn more about you and sell that ata (like ACR) and use your instructions to teach its AI. Smart TVs want you to use various virtual assistants for operation, but what you say might be stored. The TV might always be listening, too. Use your physical remote instead and shut off these devices.

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4 Smart hub connected devices

Your TV offers convenience and risk

There’s been a concerted effort by TV manufacturers to make smart TVs not just a means of entertainment, but also a central hub for controlling a smart home. INstead of your phone, your TV can now check in on any connected smart devices, such as appliances and lights. From Samsung SmartThings to Google Home, you can use your TV to monitor and operate a bunch of stuff, but centralizing all this information and power into one area can be problematic.

What you’re using, how often you’re using it, and any voice commands can all be tracked and used ot create an accurate picture of your lifestyle. This data could be sold to third parties in order to make money off of you. If your TV is vulnerable, there is a lot of information about your home that can be accessed by trackers, and that may even include doors or security systems. You can use a smart home; your TV just may not be the best place to operate it from.

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5 Motion sensors and camera control

Some smart TVs have sensors built in to detect motion, while others have cameras in order to support gesture control or facial recognition. For example, Samsung’s The Frame and other art TVs incorporate motion sensors in order to turn off its gallery mode. Both of these components are designed to provide more convenience for users, and in some cases, they offer increased accessibility. However, these features can also come with some privacy concerns.

The main concern is that these tools will be susceptible to hackers when they are connected to the internet. There is the potential that these tools, particularly a camera or a microphone, can be manipulated remotely. While some settings may allow you to turn off certain features, manually covering your camera is tape and disconnecting your smart TV from Wi-Fi when not in use will also offer protection.

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