Does Your TV Track You Even Through the HDMI Port? Short Answer: Yes

Why It Matters

HDMI tracking extends surveillance beyond native apps, exposing viewing habits even on external sources, which raises significant privacy and data‑security concerns for consumers and regulators.

Key Takeaways

• TVs track HDMI sources via ACR and CEC
• ACR captures pixel fingerprints to identify displayed content
• Disable ACR in brand‑specific privacy menus
• Turn off HDMI‑CEC to stop device‑ID data exchange
• Use CEC‑blocking adapters for hardware‑level protection

Pulse Analysis

The rise of smart‑TV ecosystems has turned living‑room screens into data collection hubs. Beyond the obvious app‑based tracking, manufacturers exploit HDMI‑CEC metadata and Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) to harvest viewing habits from any connected source. ACR works by snapping tiny pixel patterns, sending them to cloud‑based algorithms that match the fingerprint to known titles. Meanwhile, CEC exchanges device identifiers and usage timestamps, enabling brands to build detailed profiles that fuel targeted advertising and content suggestions.

For consumers, the implications are two‑fold. First, the data harvested can be combined with other household information to create granular consumer portraits, a practice that regulators are beginning to scrutinize under emerging privacy laws. Second, the continuous transmission of usage metrics, even when the TV functions as a "dumb" display, erodes the expectation of anonymity for external media like game consoles or Blu‑Ray players. This hidden surveillance layer can influence ad pricing, content licensing, and even affect the perceived value of premium streaming services.

Mitigation strategies range from software tweaks to hardware solutions. Most brands hide ACR toggles within privacy or diagnostics menus—Samsung calls it "Viewing Information Services," while LG uses "Live Plus." Disabling HDMI‑CEC, though less user‑friendly, cuts off device‑ID exchanges. For those seeking a plug‑and‑play fix, CEC‑blocking adapters such as BlueRigger prevent data packets without degrading audio‑video quality. Finally, isolating the TV from the internet or routing traffic through a VPN offers a broader shield against remote data exfiltration, albeit at the cost of reduced smart‑TV functionality.

Does your TV track you even through the HDMI port? Short answer: Yes

Adam Breeden / ZDNET

It's been something of an open secret over the last decade or so that your TV and other devices monitor your streaming activity in order to serve you personalized ads or content suggestions.

Also: How to disable ACR on your TV – and why it makes such a big difference doing so

But did you know that most smart TVs also analyze things you watch on devices connected via HDMI? A modern smart TV is just as capable of mining a 20‑year‑old DVD for advertising data as it is your Netflix queue. Thankfully, we've found a few ways to help keep your TV‑viewing experience as private as possible.

How HDMI content tracking works

A smart TV will use two methods to track your viewing habits through media played on HDMI‑connected devices:

• HDMI‑CEC Metadata: This is a very technical term for an HDMI device's ID. When you connect a game console, Blu‑Ray player, or other playback device, it sends “device ID” data to your TV, primarily to allow a single remote to control your TV and any connected devices. However, it also tracks how long you use that device (e.g., “Profile A used Input 1 [PlayStation 5] for X hours”).

• Automatic Content Recognition (ACR): This method feels much more “spy‑like” given how much data it tracks. The TV will take tiny “fingerprint screenshots” of each pixel on the screen, regardless of the source, and then feed that data into an algorithm to identify exactly what movie, show, or video game you are playing on an HDMI‑connected device.

“One of the most significant findings is that ACR tracking occurs even when the TV is used as a ‘dumb’ display,” according to researchers at the University of California, Davis. This is very general data that companies refine with the next method.

How to stop it (without going off‑grid)

There are a few ways to shut down most content‑tracking features in the software settings on your TV. Here’s how to lock it down:

Kerry Wan / ZDNET

Disable ACR (the most important)

You’ll have to dig through the Terms and Conditions and/or the Privacy and Data Policy you probably clicked through while initially setting up your TV. Each brand places this setting in a different location:

• Samsung: Viewing Information Services

• LG: Live Plus

• Vizio: Viewing Data

• Sony/Google TV: Help & Feedback or Usage & Diagnostics

• TCL/Roku TV: Smart TV Experience

• Hisense: Smart TV Experience or Viewing Information Services

• Fire TV: Automatic Content Recognition

Also: Is your Roku TV tracking you? It’s likely, but there’s a way to stop it

Turn off HDMI‑CEC

If you don’t mind managing multiple remotes, turning off this feature further limits data exchange between your HDMI‑connected devices and your TV. Because brands make it hard to find, the menu locations differ:

• Samsung: Settings > Connection > External Device manager > Anynet+

• LG: Settings > General (or Connection) > Device Connection Settings (or External Devices) > SimpLink

• Vizio: Menu > All Settings > System > CEC

• Sony: Settings > Channels & Inputs > External Inputs > Bravia Sync

• TCL: Settings > Channels & Inputs > Inputs > Control Other Devices (CEC)

• Hisense: Settings > System/Connection > HDMI & CEC

• Fire TV: Settings > Display & Sounds > HDMI CEC Device Control

• Roku TV: Settings > System > Control Other Devices

• Google TV: Settings > Display & Sound > HDMI CEC

Use an HDMI CEC‑less adapter

If you prefer a hardware solution, you can buy a physical CEC blocker. The adapter connects to both your TV and your HDMI device but lacks the pin required to transmit data, blocking tracking pings without affecting video or audio. Brands such as BlueRigger offer single adapters, pairs, and sets of four.

Disconnect from the internet or use a VPN

The only guaranteed way to prevent companies from tracking your data over the internet is to completely disconnect your TV and devices from Wi‑Fi and Ethernet networks. They may still share data locally, but without an internet connection it cannot be sent to a brand’s database for analysis.

If you can’t live without streaming, you can install a VPN on your TV, which changes your IP address and helps stop both brands and bad actors from tracking your online activity.

Also: Is spyware hiding on your phone? How to find out and remove it – fast

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Keep in mind that disabling these features may affect other TV functions. Disconnecting from the internet will disable streaming, and turning off ACR or HDMI‑CEC could impact voice commands, search, or other smart‑TV capabilities. Firmware updates may also reset your settings, so periodically check your menus to ensure your preferences are still saved. It may take a while to notice the benefit, as the TV will continue to use data it has already collected to suggest content and ads.

The long‑term goal is to protect your privacy and data so you can enjoy your media again without worrying about a brand looking over your shoulder.