- A new report is highlighting just how secure the Apple TV 4K is
- It says it's the best for streaming privacy as Apple isn't focused on selling ads
There is no shortage of streaming boxes or streaming sticks, but ever since the original Apple TV was unveiled, the Cupertino-based tech giant’s offering has always been decidedly premium. And beyond the easy integration with other Apple devices and the ability to live within the ecosystem, it’s also earned an accolade for being one of the best privacy-focused streaming boxes.
That is, according to a new report from the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) who spoke with Ars Technica. It all comes back to the idea of many streaming boxes integrating advertisements directly into the experience. You’ll find that on Roku as well as on Amazon Fire TV devices, which in some cases have full banner ads. It’s also common for smart TVs, from the likes of LG and Samsung, as well.
The director of the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), RJ Cross, told them, “Apple’s primary business model isn’t dependent on selling targeted ads, so it has somewhat less incentive to harvest and monetize incredible amounts of your data.” And it’s a good point, since this also limits the amount of tracking Apple might need to do on the device.
Yes, your recently watched list is available and can sync across devices, and content recommendations are also available. However, it’s not engaging ACR (or “automatic content recognition”) to track everything you’re doing on the device. This technology is primarily used to track viewing habits and what has been consumed on a TV, ultimately to build a profile. However, Apple has confirmed to Ars Technica that at this time or in the past, the streaming box has not used this technology.
That’s a big win for consumers and comes to the ultimate recommendation from PIRG that the Apple TV 4K is the best bet for privacy-conscious consumers who want a best-in-class streamer. You’ll still need to sign in with your Apple Account and agree to “Data & Privacy” terms during the setup process, but it’s less demanding than other streamers on the market.
The data that is collected, like what you or other profiles on the Apple TV 4K are watching or searching for, is done so anonymously, meaning it’s not traceable back to you or any other user on the streaming box. That data, once anonymized, can be shared with streaming services that use Apple’s APIs and offer apps. Here, additionally, you do have the ability to turn off some of the personalization and recommendation features.
When you use Siri, either through the Siri Remote that pairs with the Apple TV or another Apple device to control the Apple TV 4K, those conversations will fall under Apple’s general Siri privacy stipulations. For some requests and asks, the transcription is sent anonymized with no personal details to Apple’s servers, but it will only stick around for at most six months.
You can see the conversation between Ars Technica and the Public Interest Research Group here. If you’ve been considering the Apple TV 4K, you can read TechRadar’s full review here. It’s expected that at WWDC 2025 – Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference – a major update for tvOS will be announced, introducing a new look that we’ll likely call sleek, along with some other more advanced features.
With tvOS 18 last year, Apple gave subtitles a significant upgrade. When you hit mute, it automatically starts closed captioning. It was a small change that made a big difference.
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