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.

  • @[email protected]
    25•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.

    • SVcrossDO
      11•1 year ago

      Not everyone has an old router. I do, but not everyone.

      Why do I keep an old router?

      • @[email protected]English
        6•1 year ago

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

        • @[email protected]
          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…

      • @[email protected]
        6•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