How to Reduce Tracking on Your Smart TV

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Disable Interest-Based Advertising

   Access your TV's settings menu using your remote. Navigate to Support or System, select Terms & Policies or Privacy, and toggle off Interest-Based Advertising or Personalization services.

   Note: This restricts the TV manufacturer from building a profile based on your app usage and viewing history.
2. 1 min

   Disable Automatic Content Recognition

   Look for a setting labeled ACR, Live Plus, or Viewing Data. Toggle this feature to Off to stop the TV from analyzing screen pixels to identify what you are watching.

   Note: Some manufacturers require you to scroll to the bottom of the Privacy Policy menu to find the opt-out toggle.
3. 1 min

   Reset Your Advertising ID

   Within the Privacy or User Agreement menu, select Reset Advertising ID. This clears the existing tracking history associated with your specific device.

   Note: Repeat this action periodically if you cannot fully disable the ID.
4. 1 min

   Adjust App-Specific Permissions

   Navigate to the Settings menu of individual streaming applications like Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube. Check the Privacy or Data settings within these apps to turn off personalized ads and data sharing.

   Note: Global TV settings do not always override app-level tracking configurations.
5. 1 min

   Limit Network-Level Tracking

   Log into your router's administrative dashboard through your web browser. Enable a DNS-based ad blocker or utilize a privacy-focused DNS provider to filter tracking requests originating from your TV before they leave your network.

   Note: This is the most effective way to stop tracking for devices that do not offer granular privacy menus.