Connected TVs spy on you, but not necessarily in the way you imagine
This should certainly not reassure people who fear for their online privacy and other enemies of Big Brother. A study conducted by an international team of researchers took a closer look at the use of Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) by LG and Samsung. She discovered that these manufacturers do not hesitate to use this content recognition technology, but not in the context that one would first think of.
A (too) curious technology
A bit like the already criticized technology Recalling Windows 11the ACR regularly takes screenshots and audio of what is broadcast on the screen. After recovering these captures, the manufacturer compares them to a database to identify the content and thus detect habits. The aim is obviously to subsequently suggest other suitable content, including advertising. Samsung TVs can take captures every 500ms, and LG TVs every 10ms.
However, the researchers conducted an experiment to see what type of content exactly is scanned by these two manufacturers. When a video is streamed from an app like Netflix or YouTube, directly or via indirect streaming from another device, the smart TVs tested do not appear to send image or sound captures. Good news.
Personal data at stake
On the other hand, when the television is used with an antenna or as a screen for a computer or a game console via HDMI, the ACR this time comes into play. “When a user connects their laptop via HDMI just to browse items on their laptop on a larger screen using the TV as a 'dumb' screen, they have no idea their activity is being captured.”warns Yash Vekaria of the University of California.
The study, which therefore only looked at two manufacturers, also noted differences depending on the country. If a user in the United States streams content from the free, ad-supported channel offered by LG or Samsung on their TVs, captures are sent. Nothing to report, however, in the United Kingdom in the same situation.
To avoid this, options exist in the settings of the TVs concerned to no longer be tracked in this way. Otherwise, disconnecting your television from the Internet remains a radical but effective solution.
