You should disable ACR on your TV right now (and the difference it makes to your privacy)

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Smart TVs track viewing habits with ACR tech.
• Collected data fuels billions in targeted ads.
• Turning off ACR protects privacy but takes effort.

Did you know that whenever you turn on your smart TV, you invite an unseen guest to watch it with you?

These days, most mainstream TVs use automatic content recognition (ACR), a type of ad-tracking technology that collects data on everything you watch and sends it to a central database. Manufacturers then use this information to understand your viewing habits and deliver highly targeted ads.

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What’s the incentive behind this invasive technology? According to market research firm eMarketer, in 2022, advertisers spent an estimated $18.6 billion on smart TV ads, and those numbers are only going up.

To understand how ACR works, imagine a constant, real-time Shazam-like service running in the background while your TV is on. It identifies content displayed on your screen, including programs from cable TV boxes, streaming services, or gaming consoles. ACR does this by capturing continuous screenshots and cross-referencing them with a vast database of media content and advertisements.

According to The Markup, ACR can capture and identify up to 7,200 images per hour, or approximately two images every second. This extensive tracking offers money-making insights for marketers and content distributors because it can reveal connections between viewers’ personal information and their preferred content. By “personal information,” I mean email addresses, IP addresses — and even your physical street address.

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By understanding what viewers watch and engage with, marketers can make decisions on content recommendations to create bespoke advertising placements. They can also track advertisements that lead to purchases.

But the most disturbing part is the potential for exploitation. In the wrong hands, sensitive information gathered through ACR could be exploited or misused, which may result in security risks or, at worst, identity theft.

Because ACR operates clandestinely in the background, many of us aren’t even aware of its active presence each time we’re enjoying our favorite shows. Opting out of using ACR is complex and sometimes challenging. Navigating through your TV settings might take several dozen clicks to protect your privacy better.

If you, like me, perceive this feature to be intrusive or unsettling, there’s a way to dismiss this data collection feature on your smart TV. It might take some patience, but below is a How-To list for five major brands demonstrating how to turn off ACR.

How to turn off ACR on a smart TV

1. Press the Home button on your remote control to access the main menu.
2. Navigate to and select Settings.
3. Choose System.
4. Select Privacy.
5. Look for an option called Smart TV Experience, Viewing Information Services, or something similar.
6. Toggle this option off to disable ACR.

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To disable personalized ads and opt out of content recommendations:

1. In the Privacy menu, look for an option like Ad Tracking or Interest-Based Ads.
2. Turn this option off.
3. Look for options related to content recommendations or personalized content.
4. Disable these features if you don’t want the TV to suggest content based on your viewing habits.

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Remember that while these steps will significantly reduce data collection, they may also limit some smart features of your TV. Also, it’s a good idea to periodically check these settings to ensure they remain as you’ve set them. Especially after software updates, your revised settings may sometimes revert to their default state.

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The driving force behind targeted advertisements on smart TVs is ACR technology, and its inclusion speaks volumes about manufacturers’ focus on monetizing user data rather than prioritizing consumer interests.

For most of us, ACR offers few tangible benefits, while the real-time sharing of our viewing habits and preferences exposes us to potential privacy risks. By disabling ACR, you can help keep your data to yourself and enjoy viewing with some peace of mind.

Editor’s note: This article was first published in 2024. It was last thoroughly updated, fact-checked, and reviewed in October 2025.