Smart TV privacy toggles fail to stop data flows on Samsung and Vizio sets

Samsung and Vizio smart televisions continue to transmit network traffic consistent with automatic content recognition, even after users disable the feature within their privacy settings. This finding suggests that standard privacy toggles may not fully halt data flows related to viewing habits on these specific platforms.

Researchers from the Watching the Watchers study examined twelve commercial televisions representing roughly ninety-five per cent of the US smart TV market. They conducted nearly six thousand automated experiments to compare network activity with automatic content recognition enabled and disabled, revealing persistent data transmission on Samsung and Vizio devices.

What we know

Samsung’s Tizen operating system showed traffic patterns matching automatic content recognition in all thirty tests involving its built-in streaming service after the feature was turned off. Similar activity appeared in the majority of antenna tests and several HDMI and Tubi tests. This indicates the software continued generating signals despite user opt-outs.

Vizio’s SmartCast television contacted its identified Amazon Kinesis endpoint in every opted-out run for the affected scenarios. Researchers observed no decrease in these connections when the feature was disabled. This consistent contact raises questions about the effectiveness of current privacy controls on Vizio hardware.

These findings do not prove that Samsung or Vizio continued recording specific viewing histories. Most traffic was encrypted, preventing researchers from confirming the exact content transmitted. They could not determine what information reached company servers or whether companies stored the data, leaving the extent of collection unclear.

Opt-outs worked correctly in the tested LG webOS, Sony Google TV, Amazon Fire TV and VIDAA systems. These platforms stopped the relevant data flows when users disabled the feature. This contrast highlights that the issue is specific to Samsung and Vizio implementations rather than an industry-wide standard failure.

Defender's checklist

• Verify whether your smart TV model uses Samsung Tizen or Vizio SmartCast.
• Check if disabling automatic content recognition actually stops network connections.
• Monitor network traffic for unexpected data flows during non-streaming periods.
• Consider using external antennas or HDMI sources with caution on affected devices.

The background in plain language

Automatic content recognition works by sampling short audio or video clips from your screen. The system then compares these samples against a database of known programmes to identify what you are watching. Teams usually rely on this data for audience measurement and targeted advertising. Check whether your device allows you to disable this sampling. Understanding this mechanism helps you assess if privacy settings truly stop the data flow or if the system continues to generate samples in the background for other purposes.

What to do and how to stay safe: Samsung

• Review your smart TV privacy settings to locate automatic content recognition options.
• Disable the feature if available and monitor for any continued network activity.
• Use a network tool to check if your TV contacts external servers after opting out.
• Wait for vendor updates that confirm whether this behaviour will be corrected.

General security guidance from the TechWire Beat newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.

Frequently asked questions

Did researchers prove Samsung and Vizio are stealing viewing history?

No, encrypted traffic prevented confirmation of exactly what data was transmitted or stored.

Which smart TV brands were found to have this issue?

Samsung and Vizio televisions continued sending tracking-like traffic after opt-out.

Do other smart TV brands have this problem?

LG, Sony, Amazon Fire TV and VIDAA systems successfully stopped data flows when disabled.