This is going to sound bonkers, even though you’re used to so many things tracking you… web pages, emails, and apps… but I’m here to tell you that while you’re watching your TV, your TV is also watching you. Or I guess more accurately, your TV is watching what you’re watching. Even if you’re not using the built-in smart apps, if you’re just piping pixels in from an external box, your TV can recognize the movies and shows being displayed. And it’s taking meticulous taking notes and selling that data. It’s called Automatic Content Recognition and “post-purchase monetization”. It’s sorta like the Shazam music recognition app, but for TV shows and movies. I’ll tell you what you can do to stop it.

In other news: a tricky new ransomware campaign is targeting home Windows users; Signal is removing support for SMS text messaging; Toyota user app data was exposed for years; the White House unveiled a new cybersecurity rating system for consumer products; Apple privacy is better than most, but still falls short; a privacy researcher tries and fails to keep her pregnancy secret from marketers; companies in the UK are tailoring real-life billboards using cameras and AI; relief funds were sent to people impacted by Hurricane Ian using AI algorithms; Facebook’s new VR headset will mine your facial expressions for marketing; Wired article gives tips for avoiding student surveillance tools.

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