Samsung TVs under scrutiny. A researcher has uncovered concerning tracking features!

Smart TVs can know much more about users than you might think. A security researcher who gained full access to the Tizen OS on a 2025 Samsung TV discovered mechanisms for analysing audio, recognising viewed content and collecting home network data. His findings have sparked another debate about user privacy.

Does the TV analyse sounds and viewed content?

As reported by FlatpanelsHD, a researcher using the pseudonym log4j discovered mechanisms in Samsung’s software for recognising sounds such as a dog barking or a baby crying. The TV can also detect microphones in connected devices, e.g. soundbars.

However, that does not mean Samsung is secretly recording all conversations. Some of these mechanisms are used in the well-known Pet Care and Family Care features, and it has not been independently confirmed that TVs use external microphones without users’ knowledge.

The researcher also pointed to ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) technology, which can recognise content shown on the screen, including from devices connected via HDMI. The collected information can be used, among other things, to personalise ads.

Is turning off tracking enough?

Particular concerns were raised about how the privacy settings work. The researcher suspects that turning off the ACR feature does not always effectively stop data transmission.

Interestingly, a separate study by Northeastern University found that TVs running Tizen still communicated with servers associated with ACR even after users had opted out of tracking. Because the traffic was encrypted, it wasn't possible to establish exactly what information was being sent.

Samsung says that the ACR feature is optional and can be turned off in the privacy settings. Users can check the "Viewing Information Services" and personalised ads settings in the TV menu.

So far, there is no evidence that all Samsung TVs are secretly eavesdropping. The reports do, however, show how sophisticated data-analysis mechanisms can be present in modern smart TVs.

Sources: FlatpanelsHD, Android Authority, Ars Technica