Apple TV 4K is better behaved and better for privacy than every smart TV, which admittedly is a bar buried under the living room floor. Here's what it tracks and which settings rein it in. Security researchers cited in a September 7 LG report tested OLED televisions for several forms of data collection. They found that the sets scanned local networks and used automatic content recognition to identify what appeared on screen. Yes, we know that smart TVs do this. LG's data and conversation collection is just leagues worse than everybody else's.

Yes. Conversation collection. The televisions also reportedly stored microphone audio while offline, then uploaded it after reconnecting. LG disputed the microphone findings on September 8, saying its televisions begin voice processing only when someone presses the remote's voice button. An enabled far-field voice feature can also activate when it recognizes a wake word. That wasn't the findings of the researchers, but here we are anyway.

Apple TV 4K can't inspect video from a television's other inputs, so the streaming box sees less activity than the television itself can observe. Apple can still collect detailed viewing records through its services, while installed apps can gather information under each developer's privacy policy. The company's public specifications and privacy disclosures document what the device and TV app can collect, but they don't independently verify Apple TV 4K's network traffic. Apple last updated its TV disclosure on July 27.

Apple records precise viewing activity. The disclosure covers the TV app across supported devices, not only Apple TV 4K. Some listed fields, including cellular connections and available storage, therefore apply only to other hardware. Apple keeps a detailed history of what each viewer plays and when playback occurs. The company's records also identify the device, track where playback pauses or stops, and connect the activity to an Apple Account. Data records allow Continue Watching, the Watchlist, and recommendations to follow a viewer across supported devices.