Privacy Risks of Hotel TVs When Connecting to Netflix While Traveling

You have just arrived at your hotel after a long day of travel. The room looks good, the bed looks comfortable, and there’s a large TV on the wall with Netflix and your other favorite streaming apps ready to go. So you grab the remote, log in and settle in for the evening. Seems harmless, right?

Here’s the part that’s easy to forget. This TV has been used by many guests before you, and others will use it after you leave. If you log into a streaming service and forget to log out, your account might still be accessible after you check out and go home. Before you use the remote, here’s what you need to know about hotel TV privacy and the safest ways to stream content while you travel.

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TRAVEL MISTAKE PUTS PHONE, LAPTOP AND STREAMING ACCOUNTS AT RISK

Connecting to a streaming app on a hotel TV can make your account accessible if you forget to log out before paying. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why Connecting to a Hotel TV Can Create a Privacy Issue

A hotel TV is not your home TV. It’s a shared device that you don’t control. When you connect to a streaming service, the app can create and store a session on that TV so you don’t have to log in every time you turn it on. This doesn’t necessarily mean your password is on the TV in plain text. But if the session remains active after you leave, the next person in the room may be able to open the app and use your account.

Depending on the streaming service, this could allow someone to watch shows using your subscription, switch between profiles, or see some of your viewing activity. Netflix itself warns that a TV from a recent hotel stay may remain connected to your account. Its Manage Access & Devices feature lets you review recently active devices and disconnect them remotely.

There is another difficulty here. Some newer hotel entertainment systems are designed specifically for guests and offer secure streaming from your phone instead of requiring you to enter streaming credentials on the TV. Some of these systems automatically disconnect your device when you make a payment. This is a much better setup when available. Still, you can’t assume that all hotel TVs work this way.

What about smart TV tracking?

Smart TVs can also collect information about what is being watched. Some television platforms use technology called automatic content recognition (ACR) to identify content displayed on the screen and collect viewing information. Exact tracking depends on the TV, its software, and its privacy settings.

This doesn’t mean that every hotel TV is tracking you personally or connecting your Netflix identity to everything you watch. Hotel TVs may use specialized commercial software and setups that work differently than the smart TV in your living room. But that’s another reason why I wouldn’t treat a hotel TV like one of my personal devices.

FLORIDA SUES NETFLIX, ALLEGES STREAMER TRACKED CHILDREN AFTER PROMISING FAMILY PRIVACY

If the hotel supports secure streaming or HDMI, you can watch on the big screen without connecting directly to the TV. (DA Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The smartest way to look into your hotel room

My preference is simple: keep your streaming accounts on the devices you control. Your phone, tablet, or laptop already has your streaming apps and account information. If you want to watch on the hotel’s larger screen, first check to see if the hotel offers a streaming option that lets you log in from your own device without entering your password on the TV.

If not, an HDMI cable may be another option. Connect your laptop to the TV and switch the TV to the correct HDMI input. Depending on your phone or tablet, you may also need a USB-C or other compatible video adapter. HDMI carries audio, video, and some control signals between devices, but connecting your laptop this way generally doesn’t give the hotel TV access to passwords, documents, or other personal files stored on your computer. One caveat: Some hotel TVs have locked inputs or hotel equipment connected to HDMI ports. If you disconnect anything to use the port, put it back exactly as you found it before making payment.

What about hotel Wi-Fi?

Hotel Wi-Fi also deserves some attention, although there is an important distinction here. Most major websites and streaming services use HTTPS encryption, which means your password and other information isn’t just left out for another hotel guest to see.

Yet you are connecting through a network that you do not control. A VPN adds another layer of privacy by encrypting the connection between your device and the VPN server. If you use a VPN while traveling, turn it on before signing into sensitive accounts or doing other private browsing. A VPN service can help reduce what the hotel network or Wi-Fi carrier can see about your internet traffic. Remember that a VPN doesn’t make you invisible online. The streaming service you use always knows that you are connected to it.

For the best VPN software, check out my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.

BEFORE CONNECTING ANOTHER SMART TV, TABLET OR PHONE, LOCK IT

Using your own phone, tablet, or laptop keeps your streaming credentials on a device you control. (iStock)

What to do if you are already logged in

If you’re reading this from your hotel room and connected to Netflix or another streaming service on the TV, there’s no reason to panic. Before you leave, open the streaming app and choose Disconnect. Don’t assume that closing the app or turning off the TV disconnects you. If you’ve already made your payment and don’t remember if you logged out, follow these steps:

1) Check your connected devices.

Check your streaming service’s account or security settings for recently active devices. Netflix has a Manage Access & Devices section that allows you to remotely log out individual devices.

2) Disconnect from hotel TV remotely.

If you see a device that you don’t recognize or that appears to be the hotel TV, delete it.

3) Review recent account activity.

Check profiles and viewing activity for anything you don’t recognize.

4) Change your password if you notice suspicious activity.

Use a strong, unique password for this streaming account. A password manager can help you create and store a long, random password so you don’t have to reuse one from another account. If you change a Netflix password, keep it Log out of all devices option selected so that existing sessions are deleted.

5) Check the security options of the service.

Some streaming accounts use verification codes or other additional controls for certain logins and account changes. Enable any additional account protection provided by your service.

Kurt’s Key Takeaways

I’ve stayed in enough hotels to know how tempting it is to drop your bag, turn on the TV, and log straight into Netflix. But I don’t like putting my account credentials on a device I don’t own, especially when I have other options up my sleeve. If the hotel offers secure streaming from your phone, that’s the first thing I would look for. Otherwise, I will use my own laptop or mobile device and connect to the TV when possible. I also like to use a VPN on hotel Wi-Fi for an extra layer of privacy on a network I don’t control. And if you’re tuning in directly to that hotel’s TV, add one thing to your checkout routine: log out before you walk out the door. It takes a few seconds and could save you from discovering a few days later that someone else is still taking advantage of your streaming account.

Have you ever checked into a hotel and discovered that someone else’s streaming account was still logged in on the TV? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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