Samsung · Samsung Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) for Smart TV Viewing Data

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Document Record

What it is

Samsung's Smart TVs automatically track what you watch — including channels, shows, and ads — using ACR technology, and use this data to serve you targeted advertising. You can turn this off in your TV's settings.

This analysis describes what Samsung's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

ACR technology creates a detailed log of your viewing habits that is shared with advertising partners, enabling behavioral profiling of your household without active consent — you must affirmatively opt out rather than opt in.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Samsung passively collects your TV viewing history including specific programs and advertisements watched, and uses this to build an advertising profile — this occurs by default unless you navigate to your TV's settings and disable Viewing Information Services.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Opt Out of Arbitration
    On your Samsung Smart TV, navigate to Settings, then Support, then Terms & Policies, and toggle off 'Viewing Information Services' to disable ACR data collection.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) for Smart TV Viewing Data and similar clauses.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Viewing Information: If you use a Samsung Smart TV, we collect information about the video content you view on the TV, such as the channels, programs, and advertisements you watch, through a technology called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). We use this information to recommend content and to provide targeted advertising. You can opt out of ACR data collection by disabling 'Viewing Information Services' in your TV settings.

— Excerpt from Samsung's Samsung Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates the FTC Act Section 5 (15 U.S.C. §45) prohibiting unfair or deceptive trade practices, and is directly analogous to the FTC's 2017 consent decree against Vizio Inc. (No. 172-3068) for similar ACR practices. California's CPRA (Cal. Civ. Code §1798.121) classifies precise viewing data linked to a household as potentially sensitive personal information requiring heightened protection. The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA, 18 U.S.C. §2710) may apply if Samsung is deemed a 'video tape service provider' sharing personally identifiable viewing information with third parties.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has direct enforcement authority over ACR-based TV viewing data collection under FTC Act Section 5, with the 2017 Vizio consent decree establishing applicable precedent for this exact practice.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Samsung Privacy Policy
Entity
Samsung
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 7, 2026
Last verified
May 7, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-005045
Document ID
CA-D-00571
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
39387bc8fa5c1327937b5fdc4189f99fc4dd87dd467c49c6fbb2367a4e818273
Analysis generated
May 7, 2026 15:32 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Samsung
Document: Samsung Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-005045
Captured: 2026-05-07 15:32:04 UTC
SHA-256: 39387bc8fa5c1327…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/samsung/samsung-privacy-policy/automatic-content-recognition-acr-for-smart-tv-viewing-data/
Accessed: May 13, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Samsung's Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) for Smart TV Viewing Data clause do?

ACR technology creates a detailed log of your viewing habits that is shared with advertising partners, enabling behavioral profiling of your household without active consent — you must affirmatively opt out rather than opt in.

How does this clause affect you?

Samsung passively collects your TV viewing history including specific programs and advertisements watched, and uses this to build an advertising profile — this occurs by default unless you navigate to your TV's settings and disable Viewing Information Services.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Samsung?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Samsung.