TV manufacturers are collecting users' viewing information using a feature called "Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)" and there are survey results indicating that data collection continues even when ACR is disabled. In response to this situation, overseas media outlet The Verge sent a questionnaire to TV manufacturers regarding data collection and published the answers.
I asked every TV manufacturer 17 questions about how they spy on you | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/tech/1012372/tv-privacy-acr-questions
The Verge sent a questionnaire to companies that sell TVs or streaming devices, including "Amazon," "Apple," "Google," "Hisense," "LG," "Panasonic," "Roku," "Samsung," "SONY," "TCL," and "Vizio." While Hisense completely ignored the questions even after five reminders, The Verge successfully obtained responses from the other ten companies. However, Panasonic, SONY, and Vizio provided no answers to any of the questions. The content of the questions and the responses from each company are as follows.
◆Do they collect users' voice using the TV?
Amazon: The microphone on the voice remote only operates when the microphone button is physically pressed. Even on wake word-enabled TVs, voice is not saved or transmitted to the cloud unless the wake word is detected. The microphone can also be disabled.
Apple: They use a remote microphone and an always-on processor to detect wake words. The always-on processor does not process anything other than wake words. Users can also disable wake words or Siri.
Google: The microphone is activated to wait for a trigger when Google Assistant or Gemini is enabled.
Hisense: No response.
LG: The voice recognition function is off by default and only operates when the user gives consent. Even if activated, the microphone is not used until the user presses the microphone button or says the wake word. The TV itself detects the wake word, and if it is not detected, the voice is deleted.
Panasonic: No answer.
Roku: Roku TV does not have a microphone. Some Roku remotes have built-in microphones that collect voice only when the microphone button is pressed.
Samsung: The built-in microphone on the TV ignores anything other than wake words. The microphone on the remote only operates when the button is pressed. This is not for surveillance purposes and does not record or eavesdrop on private conversations.
SONY: No answer.
TCL: Enabling the microphone allows the use of voice assistants provided through third-party OS or apps. Whether or not voice is used and how it is used are managed based on the third-party's own terms of service and privacy policy.
Vizio: No answer.
◆Do they collect screenshots, screen recordings, or video recordings of users' viewing content using the TV?
Amazon: No.
Apple: Apple TV 4K does not use ACR and does not collect screenshots, screen recordings, or video recordings of viewing content. If a user asks a question about the screen content, it is processed by the Siri AI.
Google: The Google TV platform does not use ACR to record videos or screenshots on the screen.
Google TV does not install ACR, but third-party TVs may have a different ACR software installed.
Hisense: No response.
LG: No. LG TVs do not collect or store screenshots, screen recordings, or video recordings. Instead, they use the built-in sound board of the TV to obtain fingerprints from the content's audio to identify the content being watched.
Panasonic: No response.
Roku: No.
Samsung: No. Samsung TVs do not save screenshots, screen recordings, or video recordings of the viewer.
SONY: No response.
TCL: No response.
Vizio: No response.
◆ Do they collect telemetry data such as buttons selected during TV use?
Amazon: Fire TV collects data related to device usage, such as interactions with the home screen and app launches, to help improve functionality. Users can opt out of specific data collection and usage through privacy settings.
Apple: No response.
Google: Google TV collects telemetry such as "button presses," "navigation clicks," and "app launch and shutdown" to evaluate the system's integrity and reliability. It does not collect "hover" or "highlight" data.
Hisense: No response.
LG: LG may collect data such as "selected or used functions," "menu items," "apps," and "services" for improving smart services. It does not track where the user is watching, nor does it collect activity data within third-party apps.
Panasonic: No response.
Roku: Roku collects usage data such as button operations and menu selections for product improvement.
Samsung: Samsung analyzes aggregated data such as "menu operations" and "display of selected items" to improve user experience and service recommendations.
SONY: No response.
TCL: TCL does not collect device-level data related to viewing content unless requested for remote diagnostic support.
Vizio: No response.
◆ Does it save or transmit information that can identify a user, such as name, age, gender, sexual orientation, and demographic information?
Amazon: Fire TV is linked to an Amazon account, which includes information such as name.
Apple: No response.
Google: To use Google TV, a Google account is required. For personalization and age restriction policies, Google TV accesses, saves, and transmits "name," "email address," "age," and "gender" information.
Hisense: No response.
LG: When users create an LG account, they input "name," "email address," and "date of birth." These pieces of information are temporarily stored on the TV and then transmitted to LG's servers.
Panasonic: No response.
Roku: Users provide information such as name and email address when creating a Roku account.
Samsung: Samsung does not collect, save, or transmit information such as the user's name, age, gender, sexual orientation, or demographic information.
SONY: No response.
TCL: TCL collects email address and age when creating a TCL account to confirm that the user is an adult. It does not collect any other information that can identify a user.
Vizio: No response.
◆ Is it possible to completely reject all data transmission?
Amazon：No. Data transmission is necessary for basic functions such as app downloads and content distribution. However, specific data collection and transmission related to third-party app usage frequency and viewing content can be controlled.
Apple：No answer.
Google：It is not possible to completely refuse data transmission. System telemetry such as "device model," "OS version," "activation status," and "security updates" is essential for basic system operations.
Hisense：No response.
LG：Yes. Data transmission requires an internet connection. In offline mode, voice data is not saved, and if the device reconnects to the internet, the data will not be transmitted.
Panasonic：No answer.
Roku：No. However, privacy settings related to "voice data," "smart TV experience," and "ad personalization" are provided.
Samsung：No. Some minimal data is required for service provision and security assurance.
SONY：No answer.
TCL：If the TV is disconnected from the internet, data transmission to the remote server will stop.
Vizio：No answer.
◆Will data transmission stop if the TV is disconnected from the internet?
Amazon：Yes.
Apple：No answer.
Google：Data transmission to Google cloud servers will stop entirely if disconnected from the internet. Streaming services will also stop.
Hisense：No response.
LG：Yes. Data transmission requires an internet connection. In offline mode, voice data is not saved, and if the device reconnects to the internet, the data will not be transmitted.
Panasonic：No answer.
Roku：Data will not reach Roku's servers without an internet connection.
Samsung：Yes. Without an internet connection, data cannot be transmitted. Bluetooth is used only for local connections and not for data transmission. It will not automatically connect to free Wi-Fi.
SONY：No answer.
TCL：If the TV is disconnected from the internet, data transmission to the remote server will stop.
Vizio：No answer.
All 17 questions and answers can be confirmed on The Verge's page.
