The point of having a smart TV is so you can get away with commercials as much as possible. You can watch any video on demand without having to wait for those annoying ads to stop playing. It really is unfortunate especially for those who have Sony Android TV because, since the last Android 7.0 Nougat update, a software is added that captures the viewer’s information for targeted content and ads. It’s like a spyware because it tracks your behavior.
The service can be disabled but the fact Sony bundled such software is disappointing. The software is discovered to be the Samba Interactive TV. It doesn’t offer anything special or any interactive features. It just analyzes the content playing on your TV screen for targeted ads or recommendations in the future.
The feature can be disabled though. Go to Settings> Samba Interactive> Disable. You can also uninstall it via adb command.
Note that this bloatware is installed only after the Nougat update on the Sony Android TV but some are saying they already had it before. If you disable it, you may see an overlay that tells you Samba Services Manager has stopped.
If you really want Samba totally out of the system and without that overlay, do a factory reset. Of course, some of your settings and data will be wiped out as well.
VIA: Reddit
To be fair, there is a prompt during the update about whether you want the service or not. But it doesn’t really tell you what it is.