What is ACR and Why Should You Care?

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) is surveillance technology embedded in virtually all modern smart TVs. It continuously monitors everything displayed on your screen—streaming apps, cable TV, gaming consoles, laptops connected via HDMI—by capturing audio fingerprints or taking screenshots every few seconds.

This data gets sent to company servers where it’s matched against massive content databases to identify exactly what you’re watching, when, and for how long. Your viewing profile is then sold to advertisers and data brokers.

The Scale of the Problem

Vizio: Fined $2.2M by FTC for tracking 11 million TVs without consent
Data collection: Some TVs capture 7,200 screen images per hour (2 per second)
Enhanced profiling: Viewing data combined with demographics (age, income, location)
Default enabled: ACR is pre-activated on most new TVs with confusing opt-out processes

How to Disable ACR by Brand

Samsung Smart TVs (Tizen OS)

Home → Settings → All Settings
Support → Terms & Privacy → Privacy Choices
Uncheck: “Viewing Information Services”
Optional: Disable “Interest-Based Advertising” and “Customization Service”

LG Smart TVs (webOS)

Settings → All Settings → General
System → Additional Settings → Live Plus (toggle OFF)
Ads → Limit Ad Tracking (toggle ON)
Home → Disable “Content Recommendation” and “Home Promotion”

Sony Smart TVs (Google TV/Android TV)

Settings → Device Preferences → Usage & Diagnostics
Turn OFF all tracking options
Privacy → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization

Vizio Smart TVs (SmartCast)

Menu → System → Reset & Admin
Viewing Data (toggle OFF)
Smart Interactivity (toggle OFF)
Review additional privacy settings

Roku TVs (TCL, Hisense, etc.)

Home → Settings → Privacy
Smart TV Experience → Use info from TV inputs (UNCHECK)
Advertising → Limit ad tracking (ENABLE)
Microphone → Channel microphone access (DISABLE)

Fire TV (Amazon)

Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings
Device Usage Data (toggle OFF)
Collect App Usage Data (toggle OFF)
Interest-based Ads (toggle OFF)

Network-Level Blocking (Recommended)

Even after disabling ACR, many TVs continue background tracking. Block these domains using Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, or router-level filtering:

We recommend network-level blocking solutions like Pi-hole (runs on Raspberry Pi), pfSense firewall software which can run on a Netgate hardware, or dedicated appliances like Firewalla, all of which support domain blacklisting.

Samsung

samsungacr.com
samsungcloudsolution.com
samsungcloudsolution.net
samsungads.com
samsungotn.net
samsungrm.net

LG

lgtvsdp.com
rdx2.lgtvsdp.com
lgsmartad.com
lgappstv.com
yumenetworks.com
smartclip.net
alphonso.tv

Vizio

api.vizio.com
analytics.vizio.com
control.tvinteractive.tv
control2.tvinteractive.tv
rlog.vizio.com

Roku

ravm.tv
logs.roku.com

Sony

ssm1.internet.sony.tv
ssm2.internet.sony.tv
bravia.dl.playstation.net

Universal Trackers

alphonso.tv
experian.com
neustar.biz

Advanced Privacy Measures

Router Configuration

Set up a separate IoT network for smart devices
Use OpenWrt or DD-WRT firmware for granular control
Configure DNS filtering (Quad9, NextDNS, or Cloudflare for Families)

Alternative Solutions

Dedicated streaming device: Use Apple TV, NVIDIA Shield, or computer instead of TV’s smart features
Disconnect from internet: Use TV as display-only, connect external devices
VLAN isolation: Segment smart TV traffic from main network

Quick Verification Steps

After making changes:

Test: Navigate through TV menus to ensure functionality isn’t broken
Monitor: Check router logs for blocked connection attempts
Update: Regularly review privacy settings after TV software updates

Red Flags to Watch For

Forced acceptance: New terms requiring data sharing consent
Reset settings: Updates that re-enable tracking features
New “features”: Voice assistants or recommendation engines
Performance issues: Sluggish interface when blocking domains (may need whitelist adjustments)

Why This Matters

Your viewing habits reveal intimate details about your life including political views, health concerns, financial status, relationships, and daily routines. This data can be used for:

Targeted manipulation through personalized political ads
Insurance discrimination based on health-related viewing
Financial profiling affecting loan and credit decisions
Law enforcement requests without warrants

Conclusion

Smart TV privacy isn’t just about stopping ads, it’s about preventing corporate surveillance in your home. These steps require 10 minutes of setup but provide lasting protection for your family’s digital privacy.

Remember: Manufacturers profit from your data, so they make privacy settings deliberately hard to find. Stay vigilant and help others protect their privacy too.