Amazon Fire TV
What the default settings do
Fire TV is Amazon’s streaming platform. It runs on the Fire TV Stick and Cube, on Amazon’s own Omni TVs, and on smart TVs from other brands. Out of the box it collects data about how you use the device, which apps you open and for how long, and an advertising ID used to target ads.
Fire TV smart TVs can also use automatic content recognition (ACR). When it is on, Amazon takes a digital fingerprint of what is on screen, from audio or pixel samples, and matches it against a database of shows, movies and ads. This covers what comes in through connected devices, such as a cable box over HDMI. Amazon says fingerprints that do not match anything, such as a home video, are thrown away. ACR is set per TV, so turning it on for one does not turn it on for another. Antenna-equipped Fire TVs also have a separate setting for over-the-air viewing data.
The 2026 lawsuit
On 6 May 2026, two Fire TV owners filed a proposed class action, Manypenny v. Amazon.com (W.D. Wash., No. 2:26-cv-01534). It claims that ACR on Fire TV smart TVs, including other brands’ TVs running Fire TV, records what is shown from game consoles, Blu-ray players, computers and other HDMI devices, and that Amazon shares viewing data with advertisers without the consent the federal Video Privacy Protection Act requires. The complaint also says these data settings are turned on during setup. None of this has been proven, and there is no settlement.
Voice requests through the remote or a Cube go to Alexa, so they follow your Alexa privacy settings. See the Alexa & Echo guide.
A reasonable privacy baseline
These settings are on the TV or stick under Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings. They apply to that device only. On some Fire TV smart TVs you can also change them on the web at amazon.com/mycd under Privacy Settings → Amazon Devices Privacy.
Content recognition (Fire TV smart TVs)
Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Automatic Content Recognition → Off
Stops Amazon from fingerprinting what you watch through connected devices. Amazon says turning it off does not change how the TV works or whether you see ads, though ads may repeat more often. Sticks and the Cube plug into a TV rather than having inputs of their own, so this setting matters on Fire TV smart TVs.
Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Over-the-air Viewing Data → Off (TVs with an antenna input)
Covers what you watch through an antenna connected directly to the TV, which is separate from ACR and from streaming apps.
Usage data
Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Device Usage Data → Off
Stops Amazon from using data about how you use the Fire TV system for marketing and product improvement. Amazon still uses it to run features such as the Recents row.
Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Collect App Usage Data → Off
Stops Amazon from collecting when you open and close third-party apps and how long you use them.
Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Manage Sharing From Apps → Turn off Share App Viewing and Content Info
Supported apps can tell Fire TV what you watched so it appears in the Continue Watching row. You can turn this off for all apps or pick individual ones, and turn off Sync Across Devices to keep each Fire TV's history separate. It only appears on devices with a Continue Watching row.
Advertising
Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Interest-based Ads → Off
Tells apps that use the Fire TV advertising ID not to build an ad profile from it or show you targeted ads on this device. You will see the same number of ads.
Voice
Alexa app → More → Alexa Privacy → Manage Your Alexa Data → Set how long recordings are kept
Fire TV voice search uses Alexa, so recordings are managed in the Alexa app together with your Echo devices. The remote only listens while you hold its voice button. A Fire TV Cube listens for the wake word and has a microphone off button on top.
Not a privacy setting
Settings → Preferences → Data Usage Monitoring → No change needed
Despite the name, this tracks how much internet data you use against a monthly limit you set. It does not control what Amazon collects.
Trade-offs
- Turning off ACR and usage data does not reduce how many ads you see. Amazon says ads may repeat more often without ACR.
- Without app usage and app sharing data, home screen recommendations and the Continue Watching row become less useful.
- Turning off interest-based ads makes ads less relevant, not fewer.
- Alexa voice settings apply to every Alexa device on your account, not just the Fire TV.
Who should not change these settings
- If you rely on the Continue Watching row to pick up shows across apps, keep Manage Sharing From Apps on, or allow only the apps you use most.
- If you like recommendations based on what you watch on cable or antenna, ACR and over-the-air data are part of what powers them.
- If you use voice search often, keep it and manage retention in the Alexa app instead.
- If you are on a metered internet plan, Data Usage Monitoring is worth keeping on, since it is a bandwidth tool.