The privacy debate surrounding smart TVs has intensified after an investigation into LG televisions raised questions about just how much information modern TVs can collect from inside the home.

While LG has attracted much of the recent attention, viewing-data collection is not limited to one manufacturer. Automatic Content Recognition, better known as ACR, is built into many modern smart TVs and can identify what viewers are watching across supported sources. Independent testing has found ACR-related activity on TVs from major brands including LG, Samsung and Sony.

ACR works by taking small samples of the content being played and creating digital fingerprints that can be compared with databases to identify programs, movies and other material. Depending on the implementation, this can extend beyond a TV’s own streaming interface to content delivered through HDMI-connected devices.

The resulting information can help manufacturers and their partners understand viewing habits, measure audiences, recommend content and support advertising. Samsung Australia, for example, states that when users consent to its relevant services, it can collect TV viewing history including channels, websites, programs viewed and the amount of time spent watching them. Samsung says ACR and other technologies may be used to collect this information.

Australian consumer group CHOICE has previously warned that ACR can potentially result in viewing information being collected twice, once by an individual streaming service and again at television level. It says viewing profiles can build over time to reveal tastes, habits and advertising exposure.

The issue gained renewed attention following a lengthy Gamers Nexus investigation into LG TVs, which raised broader concerns involving microphones, network information and security vulnerabilities.

However, some of the most alarming findings require context. The Verge reports that demonstrations involving recording from a TV that appeared to be off followed researchers gaining root access through an exploit requiring network access. That is a legitimate security concern if exploitable, but it does not establish that ordinary LG TVs routinely record households while switched off.

LG has responded directly to the controversy, stating that its TVs do not continuously listen to, record or store household conversations. It says voice data is not stored while a television is offline for transmission later, and audio collection stops when a voice-recognition session ends. Supported models also allow the built-in microphone to be disabled using a hardware switch.

LG also says its ACR feature is optional and switched off by default. Users must accept its Viewing Information Agreement before it is enabled, while personalised advertising requires an additional agreement. According to LG, its implementation uses audio fingerprinting rather than capturing screenshots or video recordings of the television screen.

The wider privacy question remains because smart TVs increasingly operate as internet-connected computing platforms rather than passive displays.

Independent testing by RTINGS in 2026 found that switching off identifiable ACR functions generally stopped the corresponding ACR-related network traffic. However, disabling ACR does not stop every form of data collection because streaming apps, operating systems, account services and other software can continue communicating with their own servers.

Consumers can reduce the amount of viewing information collected by carefully checking privacy options during setup rather than automatically accepting every agreement. Depending on the television, relevant controls may appear under names such as Viewing Information, Viewing Data, Enhanced Viewing, Smart TV Experience, Samba Interactive TV or content recognition.

Another option is to disconnect the television itself from Wi-Fi and Ethernet and use a separate streaming device. That can prevent the TV manufacturer from monitoring activity across connected sources, although the streaming device and individual apps can still collect their own usage information.

The technology is therefore less a case of a television secretly watching its owner through a camera and more about an expanding ecosystem of viewing data, advertising identifiers, apps and connected services.

For Australian households, the key point is that buying a smart TV increasingly means buying a connected platform as well as a screen. Understanding which optional data-sharing features are enabled can make a substantial difference to how much information leaves the television.