Vizio Smart TV could find itself in trouble with consumer rights groups as it was revealed that it is tracking its users' behavior and reports them to its advertisers.
The company, which is one of the most popular TV manufacturers in the market, collects the viewing patterns of television owners through the so-called "Smart Interactivity" option. What is disturbing is that this functionality is turned on by default in at least 10 million Vizio Smart TVs, according to a Pro Publica report. While consumers are able to switch it off, most might not know that it exists.
"Non-personal identifiable information may be shared with select partners ... to permit these companies to make, for example, better-informed decisions regarding content production, programming and advertising," Vizio said.
Smart Interactivity's invasive nature is almost the same as surveillance, as it methodically analyzes the habits of viewers, including the type of preferred content, time and channel. In addition, it can gather other personal information since the viewing patterns are connected to the viewer's IP address, which - for its part - can be used to identify connected devices at home, CBS Sacramento reported.
Vizio's new tracking tactic is more aggressive than its competitors like Samsung and LG. These companies leave their own versions of Smart Interactivity off, and consumers can turn it on on their own. For those who do not know how to turn it off, Vizio detailed the steps in this link.
