By accessing and using VIZIO products and services, you agree to accept the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy, and you consent to our use and disclosure of the information collected by us or submitted to us. You also acknowledge that you are aware that this policy may change over time.
Our Privacy Policy has recently changed. The effective date of the current policy is July 31, 2018.
The Privacy Policy applies to all products and services. Certain products have unique information practices, disclosures, and user options, so please refer to the policies that apply to your VIZIO products and services.
You should refer to the "SmartCast Supplement" if you have an internet-connected SmartCast TV or video display and/or use SmartCast TV Applications (e.g. SmartCast Home, WatchFree, or other SmartCast applications that run on the SmartCast TV or display) or the SmartCast Mobile Application (“SmartCast Mobile App”) on a tablet or smartphone.
You should refer to the "Viewing Data Supplement to the Privacy Policy" for information about the collection, use or disclosure of viewing history (“Viewing Data”) collected through the Automated Content Recognition (ACR) feature common to VIZIO internet-connected devices (formerly referred to as “Smart Interactivity”).
Our vizio.com website (vizio.com/en/terms/privacy-policy) always contains the most current version of this Privacy Policy.
VIZIO, Inc. and its affiliates (“VIZIO”, “we,” or “us,” interchangeably) respect your privacy. Your privacy is a priority to VIZIO, and we take responsible measures to protect it.
Please take time to read this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect the information of our customers and site visitors.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of any company or individual that VIZIO does not control. This Privacy Policy does not cover information on non-VIZIO applications, web services or tools that you download or access from a VIZIO product. It does not, for example, apply to any third party services or applications that you may access from VIZIO products. You should review the privacy policies of these applications and services to learn more about their privacy practices, which may differ significantly from VIZIO's.
This Privacy Policy also contains information on what has previously been referred to as Smart Interactivity, an Automated Content Recognition (ACR) feature on VIZIO internet-connected TVs and video displays that recognizes onscreen video and audio content, and maintains a record of viewing history associated with the TV or display (Viewing Data). You have the option in your TV or display’s settings menu to enable or disable this ACR feature. Please review the “Viewing Data Supplement to the Privacy Policy” below. SmartCast Product (i.e. SmartCast TV Applications, SmartCast Mobile App, or any other SmartCast services connected or running on your TV or display) users should also review the SmartCast Supplement below, to understand choices specific to these products and services.
Personal Information. We collect various categories of data from purchasers and users of our consumer products and services. Some of this information can be used to identify or contact a specific person directly. We call this “Personal Information.” When you interact with VIZIO, we may collect Personal Information relevant to the situation, such as your name or contact information including mailing address, phone number, or email address. For example, if you make purchases directly from VIZIO, for example at our online store at VIZIO.com, we also collect your payment (i.e., credit card) information. Further, VIZIO collects Personal Information when you purchase a product from us directly, register a VIZIO product or service, open a myVIZIO account online or in the SmartCast Mobile App, access certain VIZIO services, contact us for warranty service or customer or technical support, enter a sweepstakes or participate in surveys, promotions and giveaways. From time to time, we may offer additional products, features, services and promotional opportunities that would require you to submit Personal Information to VIZIO in order to participate.
Personal Information of Children under 13. VIZIO recognizes that parents, guardians, or other adults often purchase our products for family use, including use by minors. We will not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under age 13 for any purpose nor will we knowingly accept registration from them. In some cases, particularly where information is collected electronically, VIZIO may not be able to know whether information was collected from a child under age 13. VIZIO treats this information as though it were provided by an adult. However, if we learn that we have collected Personal Information of a child under age 13, we will attempt to delete that Personal Information as soon as possible and take any other measures required under applicable law.
Non-Personal or Anonymous Information.We also collect data in a form that does not, on its own, permit direct association with any specific individual. We consider this “Non-Personal” or “Anonymous Information.” We may collect, use, transfer, and disclose Non-Personal Information for any purpose, consistent with the terms expressed in our policies. Examples of Non-Personal or Anonymous Information we collect, use and share include the IP address you use to connect your VIZIO internet-connected product(s), your ZIP code, the online services you visit on VIZIO or other devices, as well as information about your VIZIO product(s) such as MAC addresses, product model numbers, hardware and software versions, chipset IDs, region, and language settings. We also collect information about the products you request or purchase, and the number of users and frequency of use of VIZIO products and services. VIZIO also collects Non-Personal Information regarding customer activities on our websites, on VIZIO internet-connected products and services (including SmartCast Products), and on VIZIO's internet store.
Cookies. For website visitors, VIZIO uses session and persistent cookies to collect information when you visit VIZIO's website or online store and uses pixel tags (also known as pixels or web beacons) to place and read these cookies. A “cookie” is a small data file that VIZIO transfers to your device and is stored locally on your device. Cookies are used by thousands of websites in order to enhance the website experience. When you visit VIZIO's websites, we use cookies to identify your device so that you do not have to re-register each time you visit, and we use them to anonymously measure the traffic to our site and its different services and features. We also contract with third party service providers who use anonymous cookies to tag visitors to our online store and website. These cookies may be persistent, which means that they enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our partners’ websites. Persistent cookies remain on your local storage for an extended period of time. If you have one of these persistent cookies, you may see advertisements for our products displayed on other publishers' websites which you visit. Your browser contains features to help you manage, remove, or prevent placement of cookies. Some of these service providers participate in industry-developed programs designed to provide consumers with choices about whether to receive targeted advertising. Please visit the websites operated by the Network Advertising Initiative and Digital Advertising Alliance to learn more.
Viewing Data. When Viewing Data is enabled by a user on a VIZIO TV or video display, VIZIO also collects specific information relating to the viewing of content on that VIZIO internet-connected device. This ACR technology can automatically recognize video and audio content displayed, when enabled. This data is referred to as “Viewing Data.” This collection of Viewing Data is described under the "Viewing Data Supplement to the Privacy Policy"below.
Activity Data. For customers who use SmartCast Products, VIZIO also collects information referred to as “Activity Data” about your interactions with SmartCast Products, including for the purpose of assessing your interests and to recommend relevant content or advertisements. Please review the SmartCast Supplement, available here, for details about collection, use, and disclosure of such Activity Data.
Personal Information. We use Personal Information to respond to your requests for information, to ship products and deliver services, to provide support, to support business and legal functions, and to communicate with you about your VIZIO products and services. For example, if you sign up for our email newsletter, we will send the newsletter to the email address you provided. We will also use Personal Information to send you information about products and services that may be of interest to you, both from VIZIO and our third party partners. You will always have the opportunity to “opt-out” of such communications by unsubscribing or otherwise declining to receive further communications. Later on in this Privacy Policy, we provide you with more information on how to view, correct or remove your Personal Information.
Non-Personal or Anonymous Information. We use Non-Personal Information for many reasons, including to determine how people use VIZIO products and services and how they interact with VIZIO.com. For example, at VIZIO.com, this information tells us how often users click on advertisements, which files are downloaded most frequently, and which online services are most popular. Analyzing this data allows us to improve the performance of VIZIO products and services.
Combinations of Data. VIZIO may combine Personal Information and Non-Personal Information collected with other information so that we can provide and improve our products, services, and website. We may also match your data with our partners' data to help market our products or services to you.
Note: The SmartCast Supplement describes how SmartCast Product user data is combined with Viewing Data and Activity Data. VIZIO works with advertisers, content-providers, and other companies to measure the effectiveness and reach of content viewed on VIZIO products, by combining data that cannot reasonably identify an individual with Viewing Data and/or Activity Data as described in our Viewing Data and SmartCast supplements.
Viewing Data. The use of Viewing Data, including Viewing Data combined with IP addresses or Non-Personal or Anonymous Information, is described under the “Viewing Data Supplement to the Privacy Policy” below.
Activity Data. For SmartCast Products, click here click here to learn about the use of behavior and usage data collected through SmartCast Products.
Sharing with Third Parties. We may share Personal Information and Non- Personal or Anonymous Information with some third party companies who work with us in our business, such as delivering content, processing payments, addressing warranty claims, and receiving marketing assistance. These companies may help us process information, fulfill customer orders, deliver products to you, manage and enhance customer data, provide customer service, assess your interest in VIZIO products and services, conduct customer research or satisfaction surveys, or deliver VIZIO ads and promotions. When we supply Personal Information to these third parties, we require them to use it only for the function or purpose for which they are working with VIZIO, and prohibit disclosure except at our direction consistent with the services they are contracted to provide.
Disclosing Information. We will disclose Personal Information as required by law, or if any of the following applies in our judgment: it is necessary to respond to lawful governmental requests or legal process (for example, a court order, search warrant, or subpoena); the information is relevant to a crime that has been or is being committed; an emergency exists that poses a threat to your safety or the safety of another person; or it is necessary to protect the rights or property of VIZIO or our employees. If the ownership of VIZIO, Inc. or an affiliate or their respective assets changes as a result of a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or in the unlikely event of a bankruptcy, information collected from or about consumers or their devices may be transferred to another company. If we believe a transfer results in a material change in the use of the Personal Information we’ve collected or received about you, you will be given the opportunity to opt- out of the transfer.
International Transfers. VIZIO is a company located in Irvine, California in the United States. If you are located outside of the United States, please be aware that any information we collect may be processed and transferred to the United States and be subject to U.S. law. By using VIZIO products and services or providing us with any information, you consent to the collection, processing, maintenance and transfer of such information to and in the U.S. Viewing Data and Activity Data. The aggregation and sharing of Viewing Data and Activity Data, respectively are described under the “Viewing Data Supplement to the Privacy Policy” and the “Smartcast Supplement” below.
Viewing Data and Activity Data. The aggregation and sharing of Viewing Data and Activity Data, respectively are described under the "Viewing Data Supplement to the Privacy Policy” and the “SmartCast Supplement” below.
Protective Measures. VIZIO has implemented systems designed to maintain the confidentiality of the Personal Information that it collects. VIZIO maintains internal practices designed to protect the security and confidentiality of this information by, among other things, limiting employee access to and use of this information. When you provide VIZIO with sensitive Personal Information such as credit card numbers over the internet, we encrypt your transmissions using SSL (“Secure Sockets Layer”), and other industry standard security technology. While no one can guarantee the security of a website, internet transmission, computer system or wireless connection, we do employ common safeguards intended to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or disclosure of the Personal Information we store or handle. We keep such information on servers located in controlled facilities that are protected by firewalls and employ other technical measures designed to prevent intrusion or unauthorized access to our data centers. We maintain written policies and procedures for the protection of the Personal Information collected, stored, handled, or processed on our systems. For employees with access to Personal Information, we provide training to employees on privacy and data security.
Third Party Security Measures. VIZIO also contractually requires third parties with access to the Personal Information (i.e. for providing services to VIZIO) to prevent its disclosure or misuse, such as through the deployment of administrative, technical and physical security measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the data being processed or stored.
Viewing Data. The protection of Viewing Data is described under the "Viewing Data Supplement to the Privacy Policy" below.
If you desire access to view, correct or remove your own Personal Information, email us at privacy@vizio.com or call 877-698-4946. If you request removal of Personal Information, you acknowledge that residual Personal Information may continue to reside in VIZIO’s records and archives, but VIZIO will not use that Personal Information going forward for commercial purposes. VIZIO reserves the right to maintain your Personal Information if VIZIO has suspended, limited, or terminated your access to the VIZIO website or VIZIO products and services for violating any applicable Terms of Use or Terms of Service. This paragraph does not apply to VIZIO’s collection of Non- Personal or Anonymous Information. We reserve the right to refuse to process data removal requests that are impractical or jeopardize the privacy of others.
VIZIO does not knowingly track Personal Information about visitors to VIZIO.com over different sites and over time, and it does not enable third parties to do so, regardless of whether VIZIO detects a do-not-track or similar signal from a visitor’s browser.
Where applicable, if you post user comments or engage in similar activity, please remember that anything you post may be publicly available. In other words, publicly displayed information is public. Portions of your user profile may also be available to other users of or visitors to our websites. Any such submissions to VIZIO will be public and will not be considered private information and not Personal Information or Anonymous Information. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the actions of other users of the VIZIO website with respect to any information you post. In addition, information that you post may be collected and used by others to send you unsolicited messages and for other purposes.
As VIZIO's business changes and grows, VIZIO may make changes to this Privacy Policy. Please check back periodically to review these changes. If VIZIO’s changes have a significant effect on the way we use or disclose your information, however, VIZIO will announce the changes in a more prominent way. These announcements may include, for example, messaging on the screen of your VIZIO TV or video display or prominent disclosures on vizio.com. VIZIO will use and disclose your information according to the latest version of the Privacy Policy. The latest version of the Privacy Policy will be available at http://www.vizio.com/en/terms/privacy-policy.
By continuing to use VIZIO’s services after the posting of such revised Privacy Policy, you consent to the terms of such revised Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at privacy@vizio.com.
This section of the VIZIO Privacy Policy applies only to users of SmartCast Products (e.g. SmartCast TV Applications (i.e. SmartCast Home, WatchFree, or other SmartCast applications that run on the SmartCast TV or display), the SmartCast Mobile Application (“SmartCast Mobile App”), and/or any other SmartCast services connected or running on your TV or display).
SmartCast allows you to search, browse and discover content across multiple applications on your VIZIO SmartCast Product all at once.
This SmartCast Supplement applies to anyone who uses VIZIO SmartCast Products, which provide a means to access third party applications as well as a single aggregated view of movies, shows, music, live streams, live TV programs and more. This Supplement applies to your use of SmartCast Products, regardless of what third party services and applications are accessed through SmartCast Products, or other displays you connect to the SmartCast Mobile App, if any. SmartCast Mobile App users can create an account, or use the SmartCast Mobile App as a “guest” (SmartCast video displays currently operate only in guest mode). If you create an account on the SmartCast Mobile App, members of the same household can create separate user profiles and tag favorites to create Personal Watchlists and Collections for quicker access to content.
VIZIO sells a variety of video displays and audio products which come integrated with Google Chromecast built-in or are programmed to work together with other third party technology. The SmartCast TV Applications stream content on a SmartCast TV or video display. The SmartCast Mobile App streams content from mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other cast transmitters to a TV or video displays with Google Chromecast technology built-in. The SmartCast Mobile app also works with select DIRECTV and DISH Network devices, and allows access to live streaming channels from mobile apps.
You can control a SmartCast TV or display with the included tablet remote (available with select SmartCast Products), your own tablet or smartphone (via the SmartCast Mobile App), or by using the SmartCast IR remote (included with most VIZIO SmartCast TV or video displays). A SmartCast video display may or may not include a traditional TV tuner.
This section of the VIZIO Privacy Policy applies to users of SmartCast Products, which include the SmartCast TV Applications (i.e. SmartCast Home, WatchFree, or other SmartCast applications that run on the SmartCast TV or display), the SmartCast Mobile App, and/or any other SmartCast services connected or running on your TV or display. This SmartCast Supplement also applies to any other service that directly links to this SmartCast Supplement.
Third Parties. SmartCast Product users should also be aware that some of the content, applications and advertisements accessible through a SmartCast Product may be provided by third parties even where the items appear to be hosted by VIZIO, such as content you stream by interacting with SmartCast Products. When you access these third parties’ online content or services or view their advertisements, your information, including Personal Information, may be transmitted to them under the terms of your agreements or relationships with them. The policies described in this VIZIO Privacy Policy do not apply to these third parties, which may have their own privacy policies.
Viewing Data (formerly known as “Smart Interactivity”). All SmartCast TVs and video displays come equipped with an Automated Content Recognition (“ACR”) feature on VIZIO internet-connected devices that, if enabled, recognizes publicly-available onscreen video and audio content (Viewing Data). Prior to collecting Viewing Data on SmartCast video displays, each device will receive a notification explaining the nature and purpose of the feature, separate and apart from this privacy policy. Viewing Data will only be collected from units that choose to “AGREE” to collection and use of Viewing Data. Thereafter, you will have the option to change the setting for Viewing Data collection directly from the Settings menu of your SmartCast TV or video display.
For SmartCast users uniquely, VIZIO potentially collects the following types of data, in addition to the data described in the main Privacy Policy (which you should also review):
We use the information collected from or about SmartCast users or their devices to provide SmartCast services to you, create new products and services, send you information about VIZIO products and services, answer questions from customers (i.e., for troubleshooting), and personalize and recommend content. We may also use Activity Data that we collect to determine how often content is viewed on third-party apps and provide summary reports to third-party advertisers. For example, SmartCast Products are equipped with data analytics software. VIZIO may share information collected from the SmartCast Product (clicks and impressions in onscreen apps, for example) in a summary (non-personal or anonymous) form with our application partners, content providers, or other third parties with whom we have a relationship. When we report on advertising clicks and impressions, we do not provide any personally identifiable information about our users to third-party advertisers.
When Viewing Data collection is enabled through our ACR feature, we use SmartCast Activity Data together with Viewing Data to generate statistics and summary reports, support audience measurement products, and determine which programming and commercials are being watched. This assists us or our partners or business customers in determining the programming that should be delivered; informing us, advertisers, and programmers how many impressions were received; and making programming and advertising more relevant to consumers, which may include serving more targeted advertisements through SmartCast Products.
You are not required to create a personal account to use your SmartCast Products. You may use your SmartCast Products and services (a) without registering the product to your name and email address, (b) by using the SmartCast Mobile App in “guest” mode, and/or (c) without using the SmartCast Mobile App at all. As described below, in Guest Mode, we may nonetheless build a history of your interactions with a SmartCast Product even though we do not know who you are. Users of SmartCast Products and services have a number of ways to control Personal Information, Activity Data, or (when and if enabled) Viewing Data collection:
Like many internet-connected TVs, VIZIO Smart TVs or other display units are equipped with Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology that (when enabled) is able to use video and audio data to recognize what is playing on the TV and send information back to VIZIO about what is showing (“Viewing Data”).
This Privacy Policy may be modified from time to time as new features and functionality become available.
For VIZIO devices that have agreed to Viewing Data collection, VIZIO will use ACR technology to collect data about when a VIZIO device is turned ON/OFF and what is playing on the VIZIO device, including the identity of your broadcast, cable, satellite TV provider, and the audio and video programming content and commercials viewed (including time, date, volume, channel, input, and whether you view them live or at a later time). VIZIO will also collect the identity of an Over the Top (OTT) device and third party services or applications, such as streaming service providers, (including stream and launch events for movies, TV shows, episodes and channels) that you connect to. Video and audio analysis and data collection using ACR is referred to as “Viewing Data.”
The Viewing Data collected by VIZIO is not associated with name or contact information, even if you register your VIZIO product for registration purposes. Instead, Viewing Data is paired with IP address or unique device identifiers.
The ACR software also periodically collects other information about the TV or video display, including IP address and the media access control (“MAC”) addresses of available access points. Viewing Data is maintained and used in an unidentified format, and VIZIO does not attempt to re-identify the data to associate it with individual customers and prohibits its authorized data partners from attempting to do so as well.
At any time you may turn this ACR functionality on or off from the Settings menu of your VIZIO TV or video display. Turning it off will not affect the performance of your VIZIO TV or video display or any online services. For specific instructions on how to turn off or on the ACR feature that collects Viewing Data, see the text below under the heading “How you can control the collection of Viewing Data."
At VIZIO, we associate Viewing Data and other data about the performance, settings, or features of particular VIZIO devices to deliver optimal customer support services and to help marketers deliver more relevant advertising.
VIZIO also licenses TV viewing history (Viewing Data) for a fee to select data partners for specified purposes through written agreements which strictly prohibit attempts at identification or re-identification of shared information.
Summary Analytics and Reports. Our select data partners may analyze Viewing Data in order to create summary reports and analysis to use internally or to help deliver relevant information and advertising to groups of customers that may be most interested in this information and advertising. When we license Viewing Data for this purpose, in all cases, we never share your name or contact information with these data partners, and these data partners are strictly prohibited from attempting to re-identify individual customers. These summary reports are instead built from an automated analysis of individual data elements, without connecting individual viewing behaviors or other data to any known natural person. For example, advertisers want to measure and understand the effectiveness of their promotions, in the aggregate. Thus, a VIZIO data partner may identify another device that shares an IP address with the TV or video display and analyze, (a) whether a particular website was viewed or commercial location visited by a device with location tracking enabled (e.g., a smartphone) after a related promotion was viewed, (b) whether a particular program was viewed following exposure to a promotion for that program. In addition, some data partners are authorized to use a third party data aggregator to identify demographic traits (such as gender or age range or income range) associated with the IP addresses that VIZIO collects, and then send to the data partners the demographic information associated with those IP addresses.
Audience Measurement. VIZIO and these select data partners also use Viewing Data to understand what customers watch in order to deliver more relevant content and advertising, for example, by determining which programs are most popular, how many people watch a program to its conclusion, and whether and how often people are watching commercials. VIZIO and these select data partners may also combine Viewing Data with other demographic and similar information, including by working with data aggregators.
Tailored Advertisements. VIZIO also licenses Viewing Data to select data partners for the purpose of targeting advertising to other digital devices that share the IP address of VIZIO TVs, based on viewing history collected from that TV. VIZIO Data partners are sometimes authorized to enhance Viewing Data with household demographic data and data about digital actions (e.g. digital purchases and other consumer behavior taken by devices associated with the IP Address we collect), for the purpose of delivering relevant advertising to these associated devices.
VIZIO does not permit data partners (nor itself directly) combine or associate the Viewing Data with Personal Information.
REMINDER: You always have the option to control the collection of Viewing Data in your TV or video display’s Settings menu. Viewing Data collection is only enabled if a user AGREES to this collection. However, for a period of time you may continue to see tailored ads on other devices that were targeted on the basis of Viewing Data that was shared before you turned off collection. Disabling the Video ACR (Viewing Data) feature in the Settings Menu will not, however, affect or limit Activity Data collection through SmartCast Products, which is used to personalize and recommend content within the SmartCast Product or SmartCast Mobile App. Refer to the “SmartCast Supplement.”
VIZIO first protects the Viewing Data by not combining or associating the Viewing Data with Personal Information, even if VIZIO has collected Personal Information from other sources, such as an online purchase, or product registration. VIZIO also protects the Viewing Data by requiring the third parties who analyze or use the Viewing Data to employ reasonable security measures.
Even though the Viewing Data does not contain Personal Information, VIZIO encrypts the transmission of Viewing Data to its select data partners over the internet.
At any time you may turn ACR (Viewing Data) collection off or on directly from the menu of your VIZIO TV or video display. Turning ACR (Viewing Data) off will disable all future Viewing Data collection.
For textual as well as graphical instructions on how to turn Viewing Data (ACR) off or on, visit http://www.vizio.com/viewingdata. If you are unable to locate the Viewing Data setting on your VIZIO TV or video display, contact VIZIO customer service by emailing techsupport@vizio.com or calling (855) 472-8817. Please note that if your TV or video display is ever reset to factory settings, the device will return to its default settings, and Viewing Data will be reset to the “OFF” position. You may again turn the feature on by following the procedure described above.
Turning the Viewing Data (ACR) feature off or on will affect only the TV or video display where you have made that selection. However, even if it is turned off, VIZIO may still collect other information when you separately provide such information to VIZIO, such as when you submit a support request or participate in a promotion, and VIZIO may still collect information from other sources as described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy.