Whether we like it or not, ads have become a staple of smart TVs, but some of them can be more icky and intrusive than others. Pushing cars and cafes is pushing it too far? For more about how your smart TV tracks you and how you can opt out of some of it, see our article. This data may be enriched with other information about you, such as your estimated age or other demographic data sourced from third parties. In addition to your viewing history, smart TVs can also collect device information, such as your TV’s IP address, and infer your approximate location. It then matches that fingerprint against its library of fingerprints to learn exactly what you watched. It works by sampling any type of content you play on the TV, including commercials, and creating a ‘fingerprint’ of that sample.

One technology that allows smart TVs to gain insight into what you’re watching is called ACR, which stands for Automatic Content Recognition.

They do this either by default or by prompting you to opt in during setup. Smart TVs collect data about what you watch, how often, and for how long, and share this information with advertisers so they can target ads to you. But with the price of large, high-end smart TVs dropping to historic lows, ads are what help manufacturers offset expenses, allowing them to sell hardware for the cost of making it, or even less. Paying for a streaming device and subscriptions and still seeing ads may feel counterintuitive and even unfair. They come from the TV’s operating system or platform, such as Roku OS for Roku TVs or Android TV for Nvidia Shield TV. These ads can pop up on the TV’s home screen, app store, or app launcher. Not only do streaming services themselves show ads before or during the shows ( Netflix and Disney+ are the latest to have hopped on the ad-supported trend) but smart TVs also display ads on their own. Blocks trackers and dangerous sites.įree the Web from ads and protect your privacy with AdGuard Browser ExtensionĪds, the nuisance which we once hoped to avoid by switching from satellite and cable to streaming TV, have never quite gone away. Fights trackers and phishing.īlocks ads in browsers and supports DNS filtering. Protects your privacy.ĭoesn’t need root access to block ads in browsers and apps. Protects from phishing and malware.ĭesigned with macOS specifics in mind. Blocks ads and trackers in browsers and apps.

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