The Texas Attorney General has filed lawsuits against five major television manufacturers, alleging they unlawfully collected and profited from consumers’ viewing data without proper notice or consent. The cases, submitted this week in Texas state courts, accuse the companies of embedding surveillance software into smart TVs that quietly monitors what users watch inside their homes.
The manufacturers named in the lawsuits include global electronics giants Sony, Samsung, and LG, along with China-based television makers Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation. Texas officials argue that these companies violated state consumer protection laws by failing to clearly disclose how data was collected and used.
At the center of the legal challenge is a technology known as Automated Content Recognition, or ACR, which allows smart televisions to identify what content appears on the screen, regardless of the source.
How Smart TVs Allegedly Monitor Viewers
According to the court filings, ACR technology enables smart televisions to capture images of what is displayed on the screen at extremely short intervals—reportedly as often as twice per second. These visual snapshots are then analyzed to determine what shows, movies, advertisements, or other media the user is watching.
This monitoring is not limited to streaming apps. The lawsuits claim the technology can identify content from cable television, external streaming devices, gaming consoles, and even DVDs. Once identified, the information is transmitted back to company-controlled servers for further processing.
Texas officials allege that most consumers are unaware this level of monitoring occurs and that the data collection continues silently in the background. The state argues that the opt-out options, if present at all, are buried in confusing setup menus or privacy policies that users rarely read in full.
Claims of Data Sales and Advertising Profits
Beyond the act of tracking itself, the lawsuits allege that the viewing data collected through ACR is monetized. According to the complaints, manufacturers or their partners use the data to construct detailed user profiles that can be sold to advertisers and data brokers.
These profiles may reveal not only viewing preferences but also behavioral patterns, such as how long users watch certain types of content or how often they are exposed to specific advertisements. Texas argues that such practices cross legal and ethical boundaries when conducted without explicit, informed consent.
State officials maintain that owning a smart television should not require consumers to surrender control over personal data generated inside their homes. The lawsuits frame the alleged conduct as deceptive, invasive, and inconsistent with reasonable consumer expectations.
National Security Issues Raised Over Chinese Manufacturers
The legal action also highlights broader concerns tied to the involvement of Chinese-based television makers Hisense and TCL. Texas officials note that companies operating under China’s National Security Law may be compelled to share data with the Chinese government if requested.
While the lawsuits do not claim that U.S. consumer data has already been shared with foreign authorities, they argue that the legal obligation alone presents a serious risk. The possibility that detailed information about Americans’ viewing habits could be accessed by a foreign government adds another layer of concern to the case.
Texas authorities contend that data collected inside U.S. households should not be exposed to foreign legal regimes with limited transparency or oversight.
Limited Responses From TV Manufacturers
As of the filing of the lawsuits, most of the companies named had not publicly responded to the allegations. Representatives for Sony, Samsung, Hisense, and TCL did not provide comments when contacted.
LG issued a brief statement indicating that it does not typically comment on active legal matters. The lack of detailed responses leaves unanswered questions about how the manufacturers will defend their use of ACR technology or whether they will argue that consumers agreed to the data collection through product settings or terms of service.
A Look Back at the Vizio Case
The Texas lawsuits echo a landmark enforcement action from 2017 involving smart TV maker Vizio. That case was brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the New Jersey Attorney General, who accused Vizio of collecting viewing data from millions of consumers without their knowledge.
Regulators found that Vizio tracked content viewed across cable, streaming platforms, and physical media, and that the tracking software had been installed remotely on some older television models. The company ultimately agreed to a $2.2 million settlement.
The complaint also alleged that Vizio enhanced the viewing data with demographic details, including age range, income level, and household characteristics, before selling it to third parties for targeted advertising.
Federal Warnings to Consumers Persist
Concerns about smart TV privacy have continued in the years since the Vizio settlement. In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer alert urging Americans to review privacy settings on internet-connected devices, including televisions.
The FTC warned that many smart TVs collect data by default and advised users to disable unnecessary tracking features whenever possible. Regulators also cautioned that privacy disclosures are often lengthy and difficult to understand, making it easy for consumers to unknowingly agree to extensive data collection.
