Don’t want to allow nosey people to see your house? Try this!
Smart TVs: More loaded with ads than ever
Feeling bombarded with ads every time you turn on the tube? Well, you are. TV manufacturers figured out they could make more money from ad sales and tracking than actually selling TVs.
It used to just be commercials, but now we’ve got pop-ups, home screen ads, interactive ads — you name it. I’ve got the scoop on what’s next, plus some actionable tips to survive the ad avalanche.
How TV makers really rake in the cash
Here’s something you probably didn’t know. TV maker VIZIO makes significantly more money from its advertising and data business than from actually selling TVs.
VIZIO’s Platform Plus, which includes advertising and viewer data, generated $57.3 million in gross profit over a three-month period, while its devices segment, which includes TV sales, made $25.6 million. So, VIZIO’s profit from ads and data is more than double what it earns from selling TVs.
Big names like Samsung, LG and Roku are also stepping up their ad games. Manufacturers and advertisers put on their creativity caps to find ways to make that money:
- Force-feed: Roku recently tested a feature that forces viewers to sit through ads when they click away from their TV’s screensaver to return to the home screen. They also filed a patent to show ads over anything else that gets plugged into your TV.
- Under one roof: In November, Amazon swapped a proprietary operating system into its Fire TVs, meaning they get a bigger take of whatever is sold. Fun fact: Amazon’s ad business had its most profitable year in 2020.
- Till you drop: Brands like Samsung are developing shoppable ads. Soon you’ll be able to purchase stuff right from the tube. They’re exploring games, QR codes and ads you can interact with using your remote.
It won’t be long until you see mega brands like Walmart and Amazon all over your screen. Think of how targeted those ads will be when they combine your purchase and viewing histories.
Tuning out
Watching TV completely ad-free is close to impossible, but there are a couple of things you can try.
Stop the snoop
Smart TVs have what’s called “automatic content recognition,” or ACR, technology. ACR tracks everything you watch to send you targeted ads. Here are the latest steps to shut that down for today’s most popular brands.
3 ways to protect your privacy and swerve surveillance
Not long ago, I heard a familiar buzz while swimming in my backyard pool. Sure enough, a drone hovered overhead and quickly vanished when I shooed it away with my hand. That’s how I got the idea for this post.
The legality of drone surveillance varies by country and state, but if the drone is flying on your private property and recording you without your consent, call the police. It’s a violation of your privacy.
Quick privacy tip: Task Manager on a Windows PC and Activity Monitor on a Mac can give you an overview of everything happening on your machine. On a PC, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Click the Processes tab. On a Mac, hit Cmd + spacebar to open Spotlight Search. Then, type Activity Monitor and press Enter. See anything weird? Google it before you panic.
🚨 Shed light on this: The FTC says most subscription apps and websites use “dark patterns.” These manipulative design techniques push you to buy things and/or put your privacy at risk. Examples: Being forced to enter payment details for a free trial or upload your contacts to access features. Watch out for this.
3 quick checks to protect your privacy and your wallet
I make it a point to do the three important tasks below once a year. Now, you need to do the same. At the bottom, use the share icons to be the hero in your family and with your friends, too.
The three credit reporting agencies (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax) are required by law to provide you with one free credit report a year. Sweet. There are a few ways you can request a copy of yours from each agency:
How the government spies on you
When I shared my tip on opting out of the Transportation Security Administration’s new facial recognition tech at airports the other week, I got a ton of questions. First and foremost, though, a lot of you said, “I didn’t know I could do that.”
Amazon driver stole a cat
Fifi’s owner actually came on my radio show to give us more details about Fifi and what Amazon is doing to cover up their drivers’ bad decisions.
Wi-Fi master: Angry IP Scanner keeps track of everything connected to your network. It scans for IP addresses and other information about the devices connected. It helps troubleshoot tech issues and catch hackers or moochers since it pinpoints unknown or suspicious devices.
🔗 Facebook snoop: They say Link History is a handy tool for saving your browsing. Privacy concern? Absolutely. FB tracks and sells all your clicks. Here’s how to turn it off. Open the Facebook app, tap Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Browser, and toggle off Allow link history.
If your house is on the market: Take a good look at what’s posted online. One study reviewed 44 virtual tours, and every single home had at least one piece of private information — a diploma, a photo, a letter — on display. Steps here to remove photos from the major real estate sites.
Same ol’ privacy dance: Instagram collects your data when you’re using other apps and websites … and buries it in the settings menu. To disable that, open Instagram > tap your profile picture > three-line menu > Accounts Center at the top. Choose Your information and permissions > Your activity off Meta technologies. From here, choose Clear previous activity and Manage future activity to turn it off.
Hide your Instagram Stories: If family members or coworkers follow you on IG, you might not want them to see those party vacation pics. In the app, tap your profile picture in the bottom right, then tap the three lines to the top right > Settings > Privacy > Story > Hide Story From, and select anyone you want to hide your story from. They’ll still be able to see your profile and posts!
Fired after sexy content was found online
Just because you only have a few followers, doesn’t mean you can’t go viral.
Please leave me alone: You can stop pesky political texts if you know the steps. Here’s what not to do: Reply “STOP.” You’ll just get more junk.
Go away: On Instagram, block spammers, creeps and someone you’re just done hearing from. Click More in the bottom left > Settings > Comment. You’ll see Block comments from. Choose People. Select their name, then remove.
Surgeon General's warning on social media
Do you think adding a warning label to social media will actually help all the issues they’ve created?
60-second privacy fix, Google edition
In today’s episode of “I always feel like somebody’s watchin’ me,” our “close friend” Google is recording our voices. And, of course, they’re being sneaky about it.
Yep, a hidden feature in your Google account is snatching up audio recordings from your web and app activity, interactions with digital assistants, and more.
Fake your location to get the lowest prices: A friend of mine in Phoenix booked a rental car in the U.K. It was $955. I told her to try this trick. She used her VPN to change her location to the U.K. and the same car for the same dates was $322. Just another reason why you need ExpressVPN on all your devices. Use this link to get three months free.
Quick privacy tip: Task Manager on a Windows PC and Activity Monitor on a Mac can give you an overview of everything happening on your machine. On a PC, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Click the Processes tab. On a Mac, hit Cmd + spacebar to open Spotlight Search. Then, type Activity Monitor and press Enter. See anything weird? Google it before you panic.