New Delhi, Nov. 19 -- Have you ever stopped and wondered what your smart devices are really doing when you're not looking? That TV on your wall, the speaker on your shelf, even the tiny smart bulb in your room, they all know a lot more about you than you think. Brands quietly slip this into their privacy settings, and most of us tap "agree" without a second thought.

But how do you make sure these gadgets actually stop snooping when you hit "opt out"? And what about the ones that aren't even supposed to collect anything?

Tech companies often hide their data collection behind friendly words that sound harmless. A smart TV feature like "content recognition" may look innocent, but it basically monitors everything you watch. Many TVs keep th...