"Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office has filed a smart TV privacy lawsuit against five television companies, arguing that some smart TV features crossed the line from convenience into covert tracking. In a public statement, the office names Sony, Samsung, LG, plus Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation (TCL). Texas notes Hisense and TCL are based in China, and it frames the cases around what it describes as unlawful data collection happening inside people's homes."
"Texas describes ACR as software that can capture screenshots of a TV display every 500 milliseconds, track viewing activity in real time, and send that information back to the manufacturer. The state also claims this viewing data can be sold to help target ads across platforms. What will matter in the filings is the nitty-gritty: what disclosures were shown, how consent was requested (if at all), what data was collected, and whether consumers had a clear way to say no."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed lawsuits against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL alleging unlawful smart TV data collection. The lawsuits claim Automated Content Recognition (ACR) captured screenshots every 500 milliseconds, tracked viewing in real time, and transmitted viewing data to manufacturers. The state alleges companies sold that data for cross-platform ad targeting without meaningful disclosure or consent. Texas contends the tracking can expose sensitive information such as passwords and bank details. The filings highlight additional risk from manufacturers with China ties, citing China's National Security Law. Outcomes will depend on complaint specifics and company responses.
Read at Digital Trends
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