TV manufacturers claim that the user’s data is only used to improve their services, but it can actually be used in other ways for financial gain, according to the author of this article.
They examine how smart TVs can capture user data, including viewing habits through Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), which can create targeted ads; voice assistants that can record and share spoken information; and tracking apps to improve recommendations.
The author became concerned about unusual data usage and the appearance of a mysterious application and, in the article, suggests steps for users to mitigate the potential privacy issues arising from smart TV data gathering, such as disabling ACR, voice recognition, and not connecting the TV to the internet.
They conclude that, while most of these data collection practices are not a threat to individuals’ daily lives, they are concerned about the ethical implications of these practices and suggest that users should be told when and why their data is being sold to third parties.
