Categories: Tips & Tricks

Your Smart TV Is Watching You—Here’s How to Make It Stop

Disable ACR for some privacy.

In the age of smart everything, it’s easy to forget that your TV might be doing more than just streaming your favorite shows. Behind the scenes, it’s probably keeping tabs on what you’re watching—and using that data to feed you targeted ads. Sound invasive? That’s because it is.

But there’s a way to take back control: it’s time to turn off ACR.

Wait—What’s ACR?

ACR stands for Automatic Content Recognition, and it’s a tracking technology built into most smart TVs. It scans what’s playing on your screen—yes, even if you’re using a gaming console or Blu-ray player—and sends that info off to third parties.

How? It captures snapshots of your screen every second or so and compares them against a massive media database. From there, it can identify shows, movies, or even commercials—and use that data to serve you “personalized” ads or viewing suggestions.

Yikes.

Why You Probably Didn’t Know This Was Happening

Chances are, ACR was enabled the moment you set up your TV. Many manufacturers sneak the permission into their terms during setup, hidden behind vague names like “Smart TV Experience” or “Live Plus.” Most of us just click “Agree” to get our new toy up and running—understandably so.

But once it’s on, it stays on—until you manually turn it off.

How to Disable ACR on Popular TV Brands

Every manufacturer hides ACR under slightly different names, but here’s a quick rundown of where to find (and shut off) these settings:

LG Smart TVs

ACR Name: Live Plus
Path: Settings > General > System > Additional Settings > Live Plus
? Bonus Tip: Also go to Advertisement and enable Limit Ad Tracking.

Samsung Smart TVs

ACR Name: Viewing Information Services
Path: Settings > Privacy Choices > Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy
? Turn off Viewing Information Services.

Sony Smart TVs

ACR Name: Samba Interactive TV
Path: Settings > Initial Setup > Samba Interactive TV
? You may also want to disable ad tracking at: Settings > About > Ads > Ads Personalization.

Hisense Smart TVs

ACR Name: Varies by model (Smart TV Experience or Viewing Information Services)
Path: Settings > System > Privacy
? Look for and disable anything referring to “TV input tracking” or similar.

TCL Smart TVs

ACR Name: Use Info from TV Inputs
Path: Settings > Privacy > Smart TV Experience
? Toggle that setting off.

Can’t Find These Settings on Your TV?

Menu layouts can change often with software updates. If these steps don’t match your setup exactly, just search your specific TV model along with the phrase “turn off ACR” or “disable tracking.” You’ll usually find a guide, a video tutorial, or a manufacturer support page with the updated steps.

Final Thoughts: Take Back Your Screen

You bought a TV to enjoy entertainment—not to let it spy on your habits. Turning off ACR won’t break anything—it just means your viewing data stays with you, not in a marketing database.

So go ahead. Reclaim your privacy, and enjoy that Netflix binge without an audience.

Want more privacy tips for your devices? Drop a comment.

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