New Risks of Connecting Your Smart TV to the Internet, Especially to Vizio Users

Have you ever wondered if your smart TV is watching you? It’s not just paranoia. A recent study has revealed that many consumers are unaware of the privacy risks associated with their smart TVs,¹ especially models like Vizio,² that collect extensive viewer data. 

While some users understand that their viewing habits are being collected, they may not realize the extent to which this data could be misused. This lack of awareness is particularly concerning given the growing number of smart TVs in homes worldwide.

Walmart Now Owns Vizio & Its User Data

In February 2024, Walmart purchased Vizio for $2.3 billion, largely to enhance Walmart’s advertising business.^(ref) Vizio had more than 18 million ACR-enabled smart TVs in the market as of October 2021.^(ref) Vizio is the third largest TV brand in the U.S.^(ref)

Clearly, there’s big business in collecting data from your TV usage habits. Walmart was already selling Vizio TVs, but now it can also bolster its own ads platform—called “Walmart Connect”—with all of that user data. Plus, with Vizio’s SmartCast platform, Walmart could ditch Roku and Google TV for its Onn-branded smart TVs.

How Smart TVs Spy On You

Smart TVs, which are televisions connected to the internet, gather data and monitor your activity in three ways:

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)

ACR technology is built into smart TVs, and it detects what is playing on the TV. Anything that’s happening on the screen can be identified and recorded.

Targeted Advertising

Targeted advertising is at the forefront of smart TV tracking. Much of the data collected by ACR is sent to marketers, who then combine it with other data about you, such as web browsing and search history. This is all used to serve ads better.

Microphones & Cameras

Some smart TVs have built-in microphones and, in rare cases, cameras as well. It goes without saying that a microphone or camera could be used maliciously to collect data about what’s happening around the TV.

Disconnecting from the Internet Is the Easiest Solution

So, it’s likely that your smart TV is spying on you, and that data may now be going to a mega-corporation such as Walmart. What can you do about it? Well, there’s one very simple solution: cut off your TV’s access to the internet.

There are methods you can use to specifically disable tracking, but in reality, you’re better off completely preventing the TV from phoning home at all. It’s the only way you can be 100% sure that no funny business is happening beyond your knowledge.

If the TV is plugged into your internet with an ethernet cable, just go ahead and pull the plug. The TV is probably connected to Wi-Fi, though, in which case you’ll need to go into the settings and forget the Wi-Fi network or simply turn off Wi-Fi. You may also be able to use your router’s mobile app or web interface to block the TV from accessing the network.

How to Turn Off Tracking on Vizio TVs

It is possible to turn off ACR if you want to continue to use the internet-connected features on your Vizio smart TV. You have the option to decline ACR when first setting up the TV by opting out of “Viewing Data.” You may have already disabled it, but it doesn’t hurt to check.

Depending on the year and model, there are two ways to disable Viewing Data on Vizio TVs.

Method 1

1. Press the “Menu” button on your TV’s remote or open the Settings app.
2. Select “System.”
3. Select “Reset & Admin.”
4. Highlight “Viewing Data.”
5. Press the right arrow to change the setting to “Off.”

Method 2 (primarily on newer TVs)

1. Press the “Menu” button on your TV’s remote.
2. Select “System.”
3. Select “Reset & Admin.”
4. Highlight “Viewing Data.”
5. Press the right arrow to change the setting to “Off.”

Use a Secondary Streaming Device Instead

There are reasons beyond tracking why you shouldn’t use your smart TV’s built-in software. A secondary streaming device, such as a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Chromecast with Google TV, has several advantages over built-in software—even if that built-in software is Roku, Fire TV, or Google TV.

Generally speaking, most smart TVs ship with low-powered hardware that quickly becomes laggy and slow. A dedicated streaming device will often perform better, and if it does eventually become sluggish, you can upgrade the experience without buying an entire new TV.

Source:

1. Conference: International Conference on Human Aspects of Information Security, Privacy, and Trust
2. Public Broadcasting Service