• •RTINGS researchers confirmed that major smart TV brands collect viewing habits, IP addresses, and unique device identifiers by default.
• •Data collection occurs regardless of whether users opt out of personalized advertisements during initial setup.
• •It remains unclear if or how effectively manufacturers delete this harvested data when a user performs a factory reset or requests data deletion.

RTINGS recently published a technical audit confirming that leading smart TV operating systems actively track user viewing behavior and network activity. Unlike standard browser tracking, these smart TVs utilize ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) to identify broadcast and streaming content at the pixel level. However, users frequently struggle to block this telemetry, as many functions are buried deep in complex sub-menus or tied to essential network connectivity. Whether regulators will move to mandate a 'privacy by default' standard for living room hardware depends on the success of current consumer-led inquiries into these data practices.