Research shows Samsung, Vizio and Roku TVs ignore tracking opt-outs

Northeastern University researchers published findings on Monday showing that smart TVs running operating systems from Samsung, Vizio, and Roku continue transmitting data to automatic content recognition endpoints after users disable tracking. The study suggests that opting out via device settings does not stop these manufacturers from collecting viewing data, potentially violating user privacy expectations.

Which organizations are affected by this research?

The paper examined eight smart TV operating systems across twelve devices from ten manufacturers, including Amazon, Hisense, LG, Roku, Samsung, Sony, Supersonic, TCL, Vizio, and Westinghouse. According to lead author Ilgar Mammadov, the tested operating systems cover approximately 95 percent of those used in the United States. Because automatic content recognition is implemented at the operating system level, the behavior is likely consistent across devices using the same software.

How did the researchers verify the data transmission?

The team created operating system-specific control scripts and delivered them over Wi-Fi to the test devices. They used Mon(IoT)r and SPHERE Research Infrastructure software to capture network traffic flowing to and from each television. The researchers identified specific endpoints for each operating system, noting that some, like Samsung’s Tizen, expose domains with keywords such as “acr” and provider names. They conducted 5,943 controlled experiments to gather this data.

What is the scope of the findings?

Mammadov told Ars Technica that adding more TVs running the same operating systems would largely repeat existing findings rather than reveal new behavior. However, he noted that each provider implements automatic content recognition differently, varying in triggers and opt-out effectiveness. The researchers stated that results should not be generalized to providers outside the study, but their methodology is designed to be reusable for future analysis.

What does this mean for operations?

Automatic content recognition captures video screenshots or audio clips and sends them to remote servers for measuring viewership and serving targeted ads. The study indicates that OS operators throwing out this data after an opt-out is unlikely. This persistent data flow occurs despite user attempts to disable tracking, highlighting a gap between privacy settings and actual network behavior in major US television brands.

Questions to ask your suppliers

Security teams should ask vendors whether device-level privacy settings reliably stop all background data transmission. Check if the supplier provides network-level controls to block telemetry traffic. Determine who inside the organization needs to review the risk of persistent data collection from connected devices. Teams usually verify that vendor documentation matches actual network behavior. Ask whether the supplier can confirm that opted-out data is not retained or processed. Ensure that incident response plans account for privacy violations stemming from firmware behavior rather than configuration errors.

What to do and how to stay safe: Samsung

• Review network logs for traffic to known automatic content recognition endpoints.
• Verify that device privacy settings are documented and enforced by policy.
• Monitor for unexpected data flows from smart TVs to external servers.
• Consult legal teams regarding compliance with data collection disclosures.

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Samsung, Vizio, and Roku TVs stop sending data when tracking is disabled?

Research shows they continue sending data to automatic content recognition endpoints even after users opt out of tracking.

How many TVs were tested in the study?

The researchers examined twelve smart TVs from ten manufacturers, covering eight operating systems.

What percentage of US smart TV operating systems were covered?

The tested operating systems cover approximately 95 percent of those used in the United States.