ACR, ad IDs, streaming profiles
Smart TV
Smart TVs capture on-screen content every 10–500ms by default and upload fingerprints to the manufacturer. This is not a feature you opted into — it ships on. These steps turn it off.
Samsung: disable Viewing Information Services
ManualHighSamsung's ACR captures the screen every 500ms and uploads fingerprints every minute. Disabling Viewing Information Services stops the capture. Note: does not stop manufacturer telemetry outside ACR.
LG: enable 'Limit Ad Tracking' and disable LG Ads
ManualHighLG's Alphonso/LG Ad Solutions captures frames every ~10ms and uploads every 15s (UCL 2024 measurement). Turning on 'Limit Ad Tracking' cuts the ad-ID link; the ACR toggle path varies by webOS version.
Vizio (now Walmart-owned): disable Viewing Data
ManualHighVizio's Inscape subsidiary was acquired by Walmart in Dec 2024. Vizio's current Viewing Data Supplement explicitly permits joining on-screen viewing to Walmart account information. Disable it unless you want your TV fed into Walmart's identity graph.
Roku: disable Smart TV Experience
ManualHighRoku's 'Use Info from TV Inputs' feature uses ACR on non-Roku HDMI sources. Pair with 'Limit Ad Tracking' to break the link between viewing and the advertising ID.
Fire TV: disable Collect App Usage Data
ManualMediumAmazon's policies permit combining Fire TV viewing habits with Alexa requests and purchase history. Disable app-usage collection and ad interest tracking.