How to turn off HDMI‑CEC on your TV — and why it matters

Many smart TVs track what you watch not only from built‑in apps but also from devices connected by HDMI. They use HDMI‑CEC metadata — a device ID that helps a single remote control multiple devices — to log how long each device is used, and Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), which takes tiny “fingerprint screenshots” of pixels to identify specific movies, shows, or games.

University of California, Davis researchers found that "ACR tracking occurs even when the TV is used as a 'dumb' display." The most important step is disabling ACR, which is often buried in the terms and privacy settings you accepted when first setting up the TV.

Each brand places this option in different menus: Samsung — Viewing Information Services; LG — Live Plus; Vizio — Viewing Data; Sony/Google TV — Help & Feedback or Usage & Diagnostics; TCL/Roku TV — Smart TV Experience; Hisense — Smart TV Experience or Viewing Information Services; Fire TV — Automatic Content Recognition.

hdmi-cec, acr, tv privacy, disable acr, viewing data, device id, fingerprint screenshots, tv settings, tv tracking, samsung