Smart TVs Keep Tracking Users Even After They Opt Out

A new US study has found that some smart TVs continue sending data related to the content being watched even after users explicitly opt out of tracking.

Samsung and Vizio TVs performed worst, while LG, Sony and Amazon fared better. However, the study examined US models, and it has yet to be confirmed whether their European counterparts behave similarly.

Researchers from Northeastern University in Boston analyzed 12 smart TVs from 10 manufacturers running eight different operating systems. As part of a study titled Watching the Watchers, they conducted a total of 5,943 controlled experiments, monitoring the TVs’ network traffic while using different types of content and privacy settings.

They focused primarily on Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), a technology that allows TVs to identify the content being watched. It works by analyzing images or audio, creating digital fingerprints of the content and comparing them with databases on remote servers.

This applies not only to traditional TV broadcasts and streaming apps. The technology can also analyze content coming in over HDMI, such as from a game console, computer or external player. The information gathered can then be used to measure viewership, personalize ads or share data with advertising partners.

Turning Off Tracking May Not Work

The researchers first tested the TVs with ACR enabled, then turned tracking off using the available settings. They found that manufacturers did not all respect users’ choices equally.

The most significant issues were found on Samsung TVs running Tizen. Communications consistent with ACR activity continued in more than 60% of selected test scenarios even after users opted out of tracking. When watching content over HDMI, such communications appeared in 18 of 30 measurements. With Samsung’s built-in streaming service, they continued in all 30 measurements.

In some cases, the TV also began sending suspicious communications from apps where the researchers had not previously observed them after ACR was turned off.

Tests of a Vizio TV running SmartCast produced even more clear-cut results. It continued communicating with a server using the Amazon Kinesis service in 100% of the tested scenarios, even after tracking was turned off. Changing the setting had no observable effect on the volume of this communication.

Roku’s system only partially respected users’ choices. Turning off ACR did not apply to Roku’s own streaming service, and some tests detected communications even after users opted out of tracking.

By contrast, on LG webOS, Sony Google TV, Hisense Vidaa and Amazon Fire TV, the researchers found that turning off tracking worked as expected, and identified ACR-related communications stopped.

However, it is important to distinguish between detected communications and the actual contents of the data being sent. Most transmissions were encrypted, so the researchers could not confirm exactly what information the TVs were sending or whether manufacturers subsequently processed and stored it. Still, they said the findings suggest potential privacy violations.

Does This Affect TVs in Slovakia?

There is an important limitation to the study. The tests were conducted on TVs intended for the US market, and the findings apply to specific models and firmware versions.

It is therefore not possible to automatically conclude that Samsung, LG or Sony TVs sold in Slovakia and other European countries behave the same way.

The EU also has GDPR, which sets rules for processing personal data and obtaining users’ consent. Manufacturers may therefore use different settings, software features or data collection practices.

That alone does not guarantee that European models are free of similar issues. Confirming or ruling them out would require separate testing of devices sold on the European market.

TVs as Data Collection Tools

Tracking smart TV users is not a new issue. In 2017, Vizio agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a case involving the unauthorized collection of viewing data from approximately 11 million TVs.

In January 2026, the US state of Texas also sued five TV manufacturers, including Samsung and LG. The lawsuits alleged that the companies collected data about the content people watched and used it for commercial purposes.

The new study once again raises the question of how much control users really have over what their TVs record and send.

The most reliable way to prevent a TV from sending data over the internet is to disconnect it from the network entirely. However, users would then lose access to built-in online features and streaming apps. Another option is to block selected tracking servers at the home network level, though this may not catch all communications.

Above all, the study’s findings show that turning off tracking in a TV’s settings does not necessarily mean the device has stopped sending data related to what the user is watching. However, we do not know exactly how EU versions behave, where legislation is stricter, although companies can ignore it just as easily as they do in the US.

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