Within the broader smart TV and streaming box market, Apple TV 4K is a fairly niche product. It’s found nowhere near the success of most Apple offerings like the iPhone and iPad. But a new deep dive at Ars Technica explains why Apple TV 4K is the only real streaming option for privacy-conscious users.
New deep dive outlines Apple’s unique privacy practices
There are a lot of reasons why an Apple TV 4K can be preferable to other TV streaming options.
But Scharon Harding at Ars Technica has published a new piece highlighting an especially big one: privacy.
Every time I write an article about the escalating advertising and tracking on today’s TVs, someone brings up Apple TV boxes. Among smart TVs, streaming sticks, and other streaming devices, Apple TVs are largely viewed as a safe haven.
“Just disconnect your TV from the Internet and use an Apple TV box”…
Based on our research and the experts we’ve consulted, that advice is pretty solid, as Apple TVs offer significantly more privacy than other streaming hardware providers. But how private are Apple TV boxes, really?
Harding walks through a variety of areas where Apple TV 4K offers privacy advantages over every other TV product on the market.
For example, she covers:
- tvOS limiting tracking out of the box by requiring clear opt-ins during setup for features like Siri, location tracking, and sending analytics to Apple
- what data is and isn’t collected by Apple’s TV app
- the kinds of data advertisers do and don’t receive from Apple
- and the absence of ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) in tvOS
If you’re curious about the Apple TV 4K’s advantages in the realm of privacy, be sure to check out the full piece.
Additionally, if you’re interested in exploring and updating the current privacy settings on your own Apple TV 4K, Apple offers a detailed support article to guide you.
A new Apple TV 4K is expected to launch later this year. With the way the industry’s trending, don’t be surprised to see Apple tout its privacy advantages even more than usual.
Is privacy an important reason you use the Apple TV 4K? Let us know in the comments.
Best Apple TV 4K accessories
- AirPods Pro 2 (now only $199, down from $249)
- Anti-slip silicone case for Siri Remote, AirTag compatible
- TotalMount for mounting Apple TV
- iPhone Continuity Camera mount for Apple TV
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