In 1983, the first Compaq Portable computer cost more than $8,400 in today’s dollars. Wow, how things have changed.
Nonetheless, your computer is a significant investment, and you want it to last for years. Tap or click to get my five-minute PC speed-up fix.
You won’t have to deal with the same issues with your television, but one frequently asked question is how to remove fingerprints and dust. Tap or click to learn my foolproof method for getting a streak-free screen.
Unfortunately, you must consider tracking on your TV in the same way that you would on a computer or phone. Continue reading to learn how you invited a spy into your living room – and what you can do about it.
Why are televisions so cheap?
Remember when a large flat-screen TV was considered a luxury item?
TVs now come with a slew of bells, whistles, and smart features, and top-of-the-line models can be had for a fraction of the price. What’s going on?
It’s all about the numbers. You already know that your personal information is valuable. Removing yourself from people search sites is one way to put a stop to greedy data brokers. Tap or click for links and instructions on how to complete the task.
Consider how much your television knows about you and your family. This data compensates for the low cost of new televisions. This data farming eventually recoups more money than they ever made on those sets.
Are you in the market for a new television? There are numerous buzzwords and marketing terms used to entice you to spend more money. Don’t be taken in by it. Here’s my shopping advice on what to avoid and what to splurge on. Spoiler alert: 4K is preferable to 8K.
KOMANDO
Your television is spying on you, but you can prevent it.
Special to USA TODAY: Kim Komando
In 1983, the first Compaq Portable computer cost more than $8,400 in today’s dollars. Wow, how things have changed.
Nonetheless, your computer is a significant investment, and you want it to last for years. Tap or click to get my five-minute PC speed-up fix.
You won’t have to deal with the same issues with your television, but one frequently asked question is how to remove fingerprints and dust. Tap or click to learn my foolproof method for getting a streak-free screen.
Unfortunately, you must consider tracking on your TV in the same way that you would on a computer or phone. Continue reading to learn how you invited a spy into your living room – and what you can do about it.
Enter for a chance to win a $500 Amazon gift card.
Unfortunately, you must consider tracking on your TV in the same way that you would on a computer or phone.
Why are televisions so cheap?
Remember when a large flat-screen TV was considered a luxury item?
TVs now come with a slew of bells, whistles, and smart features, and top-of-the-line models can be had for a fraction of the price. What’s going on?
It’s all about the numbers. You already know that your personal information is valuable. Removing yourself from people search sites is one way to put a stop to greedy data brokers. Tap or click for links and instructions on how to complete the task.
Consider how much your television knows about you and your family. This data compensates for the low cost of new televisions. This data farming eventually recoups more money than they ever made on those sets.
Are you in the market for a new television? There are numerous buzzwords and marketing terms used to entice you to spend more money. Don’t be taken in by it. Here’s my shopping advice on what to avoid and what to splurge on. Spoiler alert: 4K is preferable to 8K.
Is it worthwhile? It is conditional.
In the digital world, it’s difficult to do much without being tracked, monitored, or monetized in some way. Some people work hard to find workarounds, such as paying for extra privacy or using alternatives focused on users rather than data mining.
Six Google search alternatives are available by tapping or clicking.
Others raise their hands, claiming that this is the price we pay for the free and low-cost services and devices we rely on to live our lives.
I fall somewhere in between. Yes, you must accept some tracking and data collection if you want to use anything from a smart assistant to your inbox.
However, you are not required to approve every method of collection. If you’re willing to dig into your device’s settings, there’s a lot you can do to reclaim your privacy. Here are three quick privacy fixes that you can implement in a matter of minutes.
Here’s where to begin when it comes to your television.
Stop your TV from spying on you.
Many smart TVs include cameras that most people are unaware of. You don’t have much choice but to void the device’s warranty and remove it yourself. You could hide it with electrical tape, but who wants electrical tape on their television screen?
Begin with the tracking features on your smart TV, particularly Automatic Content Recognition.
What exactly is Automatic Content Recognition, and how do you disable it? It’s a visual recognition feature that can identify any advertisement, TV show, or movie you’re watching on your television. Streaming boxes, cable/over-the-air TV, and even DVD and Blu-Ray players are included.
This information is gathered and used for marketing and targeted advertising. If all of this sounds too creepy, there are options to turn it off. The specific methods will vary depending on the brand of your television.
Vizio
On older Vizio TVs that use Vizio Internet Apps, go to System, then Reset & Admin, then Smart Interactivity, then Off.
Go to System > Reset & Admin > Viewing Data > toggle it to Off on Vizio smart TVs that use the newer SmartCast system.
Samsung
Go to Settings > Support > Terms & Policies on newer Samsung devices. Viewing Information Services (Samsung’s Automatic Content Recognition technology), Internet-based Advertising (for personalised ad tracking), and Voice Recognition Services can all be disabled here.
On older Samsung smart TVs, navigate to the Smart Hub menu > Settings > Support > Terms & Policy > Uncheck SyncPlus and Marketing. In this section, you can also disable Voice Recognition Services.
Remember that turning off your Samsung TV’s Voice Recognition Services disables voice commands.
LG
LG’s Automatic Content Recognition technology is built into its newer WebOS-powered LivePlus smart TVs. To disable this, navigate to Settings > All Settings > General > Scroll down to a setting called LivePlus > toggle it to Off.
Return to Settings > All Settings > scroll down to General > About This TV > User Agreements > toggle Personalized Advertising to Off to limit other forms of data collection on your LG smart TV.
Do you own a Roku, Fire TV, Sony, TCL, or any other brand? To disable tracking on your TV, tap or click here.
More precautions to keep your habits private
Here are some more tips to try if you want to reduce the impact of big data on your viewing experience.
• Modify your privacy settings to limit the amount of data sent back to the manufacturer by your device.
• Turn off voice control. This may prevent your TV from analysing conversations in order to detect the wake word or commands.
• Stay away from free apps and channels. These are generally supported by a combination of advertisements and data collection.
• Think about what your streaming services and devices are tracking. Tap or click to learn more about what Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and others collect and how to change your settings.
The internet is a hazardous environment. I can assist you in staying safe from hackers and scammers. Subscribe to my free daily tech newsletter.
Maintain your technological knowledge.
“Kim Komando Today” is the name of my popular podcast. It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers from all over the country with tech questions like yours. Look for it wherever you listen to podcasts. For your convenience, you can view a recent episode by clicking on the link below.
Additionally, teens are self-diagnosing serious illnesses they discovered on TikTok, get better sleep with these podcasts, and signs that your phone or computer is infected with a keylogger. Oh, and stop putting your smartphone in your pants pocket, men!
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