Samsung Smart TVs use technology that recognizes and records what you are watching, including cable, satellite, and streaming content, and uses this to serve targeted ads.
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
ACR technology creates a detailed record of your television viewing habits, including content from third-party services, which Samsung may use for advertising purposes and share with partners.
Interpretive note: The specific opt-out mechanism for ACR on Samsung Smart TVs and the exact categories of third parties receiving viewing data are not fully detailed in the policy text provided.
Removal of explicit Smart TV ACR technology disclosure that detailed viewing habits and content collection eliminates specific notice about this potentially invasive monitoring mechanism.
View full change record →If you own a Samsung Smart TV, the policy authorizes collection of your viewing history across all content sources using ACR, which may be shared with advertising partners to target you based on your TV-watching behavior.
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At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.
If we collect health information from these integrations (such as heart rate), we will not sell or use it for advertising or other similar purposes; we do not disclose it to third parties without your prior consent; and we will only use it for the specific purposes described in this Policy.
We collect your personal data when you use our Services, create a new eBay account, provide us with information via a web form, add or update information in your eBay account, participate in online community discussions or otherwise interact with us.
Monitoring
Samsung has changed this document before.
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"If you use a Samsung Smart TV, we may collect information about the content you watch, including video and audio content, information about your cable, satellite, or other service provider, and information about the ads you see on your TV. This information is collected using automatic content recognition (ACR) technology, which identifies content being displayed on your TV screen.— Excerpt from Samsung's Samsung Privacy Policy
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: ACR-based data collection by smart TV manufacturers has been the subject of FTC scrutiny and enforcement, including the 2017 Vizio settlement, which established that collecting and sharing viewing data without adequate consent constitutes an unfair or deceptive practice under the FTC Act. The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) may apply to the collection and disclosure of video viewing records, depending on how Samsung is characterized and how data is used. State privacy laws including CCPA and CPRA classify viewing history as personal information subject to disclosure and opt-out rights. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. ACR-based data collection has a documented FTC enforcement history and is a recurring subject of regulatory and legislative attention. Failure to provide adequately prominent opt-out mechanisms for ACR may increase enforcement risk. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California residents have a right to opt out of the sale or sharing of viewing history data under CPRA. VPPA claims have been filed in federal courts against smart TV manufacturers and streaming services, and the statute's applicability to Samsung's ACR practices may be litigated depending on how the data is disclosed and to whom. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: B2B customers deploying Samsung Smart TVs in commercial settings such as hotels, healthcare facilities, or offices should assess whether ACR data collection is active on those devices and whether it is disclosed to the end users of those TVs. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should confirm that Samsung's ACR opt-out is presented at TV setup and accessible from device settings, and that opt-out requests are honored across all connected Samsung services. The intersection of ACR data with advertising partner data sharing agreements should be reviewed for VPPA compliance.
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ACR technology creates a detailed record of your television viewing habits, including content from third-party services, which Samsung may use for advertising purposes and share with partners.
If you own a Samsung Smart TV, the policy authorizes collection of your viewing history across all content sources using ACR, which may be shared with advertising partners to target you based on your TV-watching behavior.
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