Research from Northeastern University found that smart TVs from major brands like Samsung, Vizio, and Roku continue sending data to automatic content recognition (ACR) endpoints even after users opt out of tracking. The study examined eight OSes across 12 TVs from 10 manufacturers, covering roughly 95% of US smart TV usage, and detected suspicious network traffic indicating potential privacy violations.
Background
Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) is a technology used by smart TVs to capture screenshots or audio of what's being watched, enabling viewership measurement and targeted advertising. This research highlights growing concerns about IoT device privacy practices.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 22, 2026 at 02:00 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10