The survey of 36,000 US consumers focused specifically on internet-connected TVs, finding that almost half ( 49%) were unsure if their TV viewing was being monitored despite 62% of them having TVs connected to the internet.

Only 13% of participants being tracked knew they were being monitored and remembered agreeing to their smart TV’s terms of service. Additionally, three-quarters ( 75%) of consumers in the study claimed not to know how they had given their consent in the first place.

When asked if their TV collects data about viewing behaviour, 61% respondents using a specific smart TV brand said they were unsure, 21% said they were not being monitored, 8% knew they were being monitored and recalled agreeing to the terms, while 7% knew but didn’t remember agreeing to be tracked.

Peter Daboll, chief executive officer of Ace Metrix, said: “Research and data companies need to be doing more for consumers to protect their privacy and secure the data they provide, or else they risk extinction. With GDPR, and the newly passed Consumer Privacy Act in California, the industry hit an inflection point on privacy. 

“The first big area we need to improve on is really getting consumers’ consent – not using tricks, trojans or falsehoods to swindle our way into free data from unsuspecting people. We need to clearly describe to consumers what data we’re using, how we’re using it, and periodically remind them that we’re doing so.”