Since the 1920s, we have been watching television from the comfort and privacy of our homes. Yet, now it seems that your TV may be watching you in return. That’s right, many of the most popular brands of smart TV use ACR (automatic content recognition). This type of surveillance technology gathers data on your viewing habits and shares it with a proprietary database. This data is then used to try and offer ads that are specifically targeted to you. Many people don’t even know that this software is part of their smart TVs since it is so hidden from view. Furthermore, many people don’t know that they can opt out of this option.
How Automatic Content Recognition Software Works
The software works by continuously taking screenshots of whatever is playing on your screen, be it from cable TV, a game console, or a streaming service such as Netflix. It then compares those images to an incredibly large media and advert database, trying to find a match. We aren’t talking about the occasional screenshot, either. The software is like an overzealous wedding photographer, capturing 7,200 images every hour, which equates to around two images every single second. Using this data, they are able to personalize content recommendations and targeted adverts. Companies spend huge sums of money on putting targeted adverts on smart TVs. In fact, advertisers spent around $18.6 billion on these ads in 2022 alone.
In this day and age, it has become increasingly important to keep your personal data private. Many companies are all too happy to sell your information on to other companies. The fact that this information can be used in so many nefarious ways is a huge issue when it comes to online safety. More and more scams constantly pop up where the scammer has access to information that makes their scam seem legitimate. It’s much easier to take advantage of people when you say you are a bank and can provide personal details about the person you wish to scam. So, how do you stop your smart TV from collecting data on your viewing habits? Well, most of the popular brands do have the opt-out option, although it is typically hidden in complex subsections that require many clicks to reach.