ACR and viewing fingerprinting

Automatic Content Recognition fingerprints what is on the screen (HDMI, antenna, apps the vendor supports) for measurement, recommendations, and, with extra consent, ads.

ACR is the industry name for “we can tell what is on the panel even if you used HDMI.” Vendors brand it Live Plus (LG), Viewing Information Services (Samsung), Enhanced Viewing (Hisense), Samba Interactive TV (Sony), and similar. **How the captured texts describe it.** LG’s Viewing Information Agreement says ACR identifies content *regardless of source*, via audio taken from the set’s soundboard, not the far-field mic. LG’s September 2026 statement repeats the “audio fingerprint, not screenshots” line and says ACR is off by default and requires the Viewing Information Agreement. The optional Who.Where.What? User Agreement in the same PDF dump defines Viewing Information to include a “captured image of the content watched” for shoppable overlays. That is a different document from the ACR agreement. Hisense’s EV notice is more explicit about continuously analyzing on-screen audio, including consoles. Sony’s Samba Interactive TV FAQ (live US article, Last Modified 02/10/2026) says Samba fingerprints tuner and HDMI sources (set-top, Blu-ray, Roku, Apple TV) with “limited digital pixel information,” and that installed Netflix/Hulu/YouTube apps on the BRAVIA are out of that match. Samba’s 2021 Privacy Policy described opt-in recognition of public content; the June 24, 2026 policy adds that recognition includes “content played through external players or streaming devices connected to your TV.” **Why 2026 coverage disagreed.** Researchers and journalists described screenshot and audio-snippet ACR as common industry practice; LG’s statement disputes screenshots and ambient recording. This tracker keeps both the *agreement* and the *statement* so you can read the vendor’s legal text next to its PR text. Neither is a lab result. **Partner layer.** LG names Alphonso in the Viewing Information Agreement and points to Alphonso’s Smart TV privacy policy. Alphonso says Data Partners receive Viewing Data (with device identifiers) and may create products sold to clients. Sony points BRAVIA owners to Samba TV; Samba’s Privacy Policy (2021 and June 24, 2026) is the partner legal layer for that opt-in. Turn ACR off in the TV settings *and* withdraw the related agreement if the vendor splits those controls. LG’s agreement itself warns that a “Do Not Sell” request does not stop Live Plus unless Live Plus is also toggled off.

Excerpts in the corpus

LG · viewing-information · Jan 1, 2024

“Viewing information may be collected using Automatic Content Recognition (“ACR”) software to identify the content you watch or listen to on your device, regardless of the source of the information”

LG's own agreement covers HDMI, set-top boxes, consoles, and over-the-air, not just the webOS app row.

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LG · company-statement · Sep 12, 2026

“ACR uses audio fingerprinting technology using the TV’s internal audio processor (not a speaker) to identify content and does not collect screenshots, screen recordings, video recordings, voice recordings, or other audio recordings from the TV.”

Corporate statement after 2026 investigations. Compare with the Viewing Information Agreement's "regardless of the source" language.

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Hisense · viewing-information · Apr 30, 2023

“the EV Service will continuously analyze audio from any onscreen content accessed or displayed on your smart TV at that moment, including content from any set-top-boxes, media players, gaming consoles, over the air broadcast, or other audiovisual sources playing through your smart TV.”

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Alphonso · smart-tv-privacy · May 1, 2026

“If you agree, the Service may collect video and/or audio information from what you are watching through your device, regardless of the source of the information”

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Sony · viewing-information · Feb 10, 2026

“Samba TV digitally recognizes such content from your TV’s internal tuner or external devices such as a set-top box, Blu-ray Disc™ player, Roku® or Apple TV® device, or other video device connected to your TV by HDMI.”

Sony USA support FAQ, live article 00182856 (Last Modified 02/10/2026). Sony also says Samba does not recognize Netflix/Hulu/YouTube apps installed on the BRAVIA, and that no full-screen image is sent, only “limited digital pixel information.”

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LG · who-where-what · Jan 1, 2024

“captured image of the content watched”

Who.Where.What? defines Viewing Information to include a “captured image of the content watched,” which sits next to LG’s ACR “audio fingerprint, not screenshots” statement. Do not collapse the two documents.

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Samba TV · privacy-policy · Jul 12, 2021

“When you opt-in to our Smart TV Services, we may recognize the content played through your TV.”

Samba TV Privacy Policy (Last Updated July 12, 2021) from Wayback. Kept as the prior version.

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Samba TV · privacy-policy · Jun 24, 2026

“When you opt-in to our Smart TV Services, we may recognize the content played through your TV, including content played through external players or streaming devices connected to your TV”

Samba Privacy Policy (Last Updated June 24, 2026), captured from the client-rendered Privacy Center page. Adds external players and streaming devices vs the 2021 wording.

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