Every technology user accepts some sort of surveillance on their devices, whether it’s a smartphone, streaming app, or even a smart TV. But there is a belief that when you use these devices, you can at least employ certain settings and measures that limit what is being found out about you. No one thinks you can completely avoid tracking unless you are offline, but users expect some bit of effort and opportunity around privacy.

The smart TV can collect a lot of information about you, which is why many consumers are eager to set up safeguards when using it. However, it seems like that is far more difficult to do based on a recent allegation against a major TV manufacturer in LGand other recent investigations around what actually happens when you opt out of tracking. Here’s what you need to know about protecting your smart TV.

Smart TV giant LG is facing a privacy complaint

Questions surround whether opting out works

LG, one of the biggest TV and electronics manufacturers, was recently accused of privacy violations by Citizens Voice, a Portuguese consumer protection agency. The complaint alleges that LG created “216,000 spy TVs,” a claim that LG denies. Included in the lawsuit are allegations that audio was kept and stored during offline periods and that webOS, the company’s own smart TV operating system, did not properly protect consumers as it had notable vulnerabilities. Citizens Voice is asking for Portuguese courts to investigate whether LG’s alleged lack of security protection is a violation of consumer rights.

Should the issue move forward, a ruling could lead to TVs being removed from the Portuguese market while forcing LG and other manufacturers to institute stricter privacy controls. Citizens Voice wants action not just against smart TV manufacturers, but retailers who sell TVs as well. And if this endeavor proves successful, other countries in Europe could follow suit.

Automatic Content Recognition continues to be a problem

Opting out of the tracking system may not work

This complaint in Portugal follows an investigation earlier this year in the United States that looked at the effectiveness and compliance of opting out of ACR tracking. Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR, is a major way companies figure out who you are and what you might want to buy. Basically, ACR identifies what is on your screen through audio or video cues. It compares these cues against a vast database so that it can figure out what you’re watching and how long you’re watching it for.

When a company knows what you’re watching, it can create a pretty detailed and accurate profile of you. Consider the last 10 or 15 shows and movies you watched. If you have a decent sample size, someone with that data can infer your age, ethnicity, income level, religion, sexual orientation, and whether you have kids. The more shows and movies it tracks, the more it can pinpoint who you are. And by knowing who you are, companies with that information can sell you more things.

Users can and absolutely should opt out of any ACR tracking on their TV. However, a report by WatchingtheWatchers suggested that not all companies adhere to opting out. The report said four companies, webOS, Google TV on Sony, VIDAA OS, and Fire TV OS, all effectively disabled ACR upon consumers opting out. Samsung’s Tizen and Vizio’s Smartcast, however, did not show an observable difference when ACR was disabled (I have a Samsung TV, so I don’t feel great about that).

ACR is hugely informative for companies, which is why they make it so hard for users to find the setting where you actually turn it off. Or at least where you think you turn it off.

Companies want your eyeballs and identity

Viewing behavior leads to targeted advertising

Tech and streaming companies make a lot of their money through advertising, and advertising dollars can be very lucrative when companies are able to figure out who you are. That’s why streaming services make ad-free tiers so expensive and ad-supported tiers so cheap. They want you to subscribe to the latter because it actually makes them a lot more money.

The more data that’s collected, the more that data creates your consumer profile, and the more likely it is some company can put something in front of you that you like. Netflix wants to know what you like so it can create more shows that you like, and the more shows it has that you want to watch, the longer you will stay in front of it. And if you’re staying in front of it a long time, it can make money off advertisers and investors.

And then there is a company like Amazon, that has a streaming service but is also a marketplace, and Amazon is working very hard to blend those two things together. It wants to know who you are, so it can show you titles you might like, and then allow you to buy things you might see on that show. Amazon’s goal is to let you hear a song, see an accessory, or fall in love with a destination through one of its shows, and then let you purchase that item or trip instantly through its marketplace.

Everything comes back to data collection. The more that is known about you, the more you can be targeted with products, services, and lifestyle inspiration.

Isolate your smart TV as much as possible

Use vague emails and limit app usage

It seems like it’s going to be really hard to push back against companies that are dedicated to finding out information about you, but there are still some efforts you can make to make it more difficult for them. The best thing you can do is isolate your TV as much as possible from other devices and networks and accounts. This includes creating a separate Wi-Fi channel for your smart TV, and creating a user account with an isolated email address that doesn’t include your name or any identifying information. You can use the same email address for all your streaming accounts; it shouldn’t be associated with anything else you do, like banking or shopping.

You also want to only use your TV for watching things and playing games. You don’t need your TV to operate a smart home; avoid connecting any devices to your TV. You also don’t need your TV to be your social media exposure. Companies are trying out apps on your TV that will get you to use your phone less and your TV more because it’s harder for companies to track your info on your phone. If you’re on Instagram on your TV, then more people have access to what you like, and they can learn more about you. Resist the urge to use your TV as a lifestyle or business device either. You don’t want your TV to know your health information or what your job entails.

Of course, go through all your privacy and tracking settings and turn everything off. Don’t let them try to convince you that these are worth keeping. Now, it does not do anything according to some reports, but it’s worth trying.

Your TV is going to do its best to spy on you, and companies are going to do their best to find out who you are and what you like. But it’s not worth giving up the fight just yet.