Cyber & IT Supervisory Forum - Additional Resources

TLP:GREEN

26 C ONNECTED TV (CTV) A ND O VER -T HE -T OP (OTT) D EVICES

Connected TV (CTV) and Over-the-top (OTT) devices are two exceedingly popular methods of accessing TV/video content, but they can be easily confused for one another. A Connected TV (CTV) is a device that connects to — or is embedded in — a television to support video content streaming. Distinct types of CTVs include Xbox, PlayStation, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and more. Over-the-top (OTT) is the delivery of TV/video content directly from the internet. You do not have to subscribe to a traditional cable or satellite provider to access this content; they can watch this content on various devices — tablet, phone, laptop/desktop, television, etc. The video is delivered in a streaming or video-on-demand (VOD) format. Different types of OTT services include Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Mass media and networks are also launching their own OTT services such as Disney+ and NBC’s Peacock. The rise of CTV and OTT has led to the phenomenon known as "cord-cutting", which is the growing trend of customers canceling their traditional cable and satellite subscriptions in favor of only using these streaming or VOD formats. 605 With more than 164 million U.S. users accessing video content via connected TV devices and predicted to grow by up to 204.1 million viewers in 2022, it is no surprise that marketers are looking for ways to use online advertising through CTVs. 606 It should also be noted the number of Smart TV’s and OTT (over -the-top) devices in households exceeded 1 billion in 2019. In the U.S. alone, more than 50% of the population has a TV-connected device in their home. 607 26.1.1 Advertising On CTVs and OTTs The growing concern over online data and user privacy has been focused on tech giants, social media platforms and smartphones but people’s data is being quietly and increasingly siphoned right out of their living rooms via their televisions, oftentimes without their knowledge. 608 Many TV streaming devices and smart TVs include unique advertising identifiers and can collect data about the content viewed by you, as well as the user’s interaction with some applications available on these devices, for digital advertising purposes. 609 610 The operating systems on many of these devices include built-in settings t o help users’ express privacy preferences for digital advertising data collection and use, but only a minority of users even know how to use these preferences. Your CTV or OTT device collects data about what you watch to improve your viewing experience, while also monetizing this data through targeted advertising. 611 Most people do not realize know how much data CTVs and OTT devices collect, how that data is used, and how it impacts their lives beyond the TV screen — a potentially significant IoT security risk. 612 Because many people connect all their smart devices to a single Wi-Fi router, a hacker could access your entire network by hacking one smart appliance or router. 613 If you would like to know more about the many ways that CTVs and OTTs deliver advertising content to the consumer, the following URL is incredibly helpful and packed with insight into the process. 614 Opting Out Of Advertising On CTVs and OTTs Below are instructions pulled from the NAI page 615 which helps you find and change the privacy preferences on many commonly used CTVs and OTTs to limit digital advertising data collection on these devices to the extent that the device’s manufacturer will allow.

TLP:GREEN