Roku TVs will soon be able to detect what you’re watching on the tube, in order to steer you to internet-streaming content — but the feature is not as Orwellian as it may sound.
Roku-enabled TVs, thanks to a new operating-system update rolling out over the next few weeks, will be able to recognize the show or movie you’re watching via your cable or satellite set-top or over-the-air antenna. Compatible TVs will use automatic content recognition (ACR) technology to identify the content and then suggest additional viewing options available on via streaming services like Netflix, Hulu or Vudu.
It may seem vaguely Big Brother-ish, but Roku is being careful about ensuring consumer privacy: Users will be required to enable the feature via an opt-in prompt. In addition, the “More Ways to Watch” feature can be turned off at any time (although Roku says viewing information collected prior to the feature being turned off will not be deleted).
Meanwhile, such behavioral tracking is ubiquitous in the internet biz — and it’s perfectly kosher, as long as consumers’ data isn’t being used or shared without their consent. Note that in February, Vizio paid $2.2 million in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that it installed software on smart TVs to collect viewing data from some 11 million TVs without informing their customers or asking permission to do so.
More:
http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/roku-devices-listening-tv-shows-movies-1202029139/
