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 to covert tracking.
In a public statement, the office names Sony, Samsung, LG as well as Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation (TCL). Texas points out that Hisense and TCL are based in China and frames the cases around what it describes as unlawful data collection in people’s homes.
The main allegation is that the companies used automated content recognition (ACR) to collect personal data about what consumers see without the viewer’s knowledge or meaningful consent and then profit from it through targeted advertising.
The ACR claim in plain language
Texas describes ACR as software that can capture screenshots of a television screen every 500 milliseconds, track television activity in real time, and send that information back to the manufacturer.
The state also claims that this viewing data could be sold to better target cross-platform advertising. Submissions get down to the nitty-gritty: what disclosures were shown, how consent was sought (if at all), what data was collected, and whether consumers had a clear opportunity to say “no.”
Why Texas says it matters
The Attorney General’s Office argues that this is not just about advertising. It says the alleged tracking could put sensitive information at risk, citing examples such as passwords and banking information.
Texas also raises a separate concern about data access when a company has ties to China, citing China’s national security law as part of its risk argument. These allegations are part of the state’s case and will likely face tough scrutiny as the lawsuits move forward.
What to watch next at home
The next practical checkpoint is the full text of the complaints and any responses from the companies. The statement sets out allegations, not findings, and the details will determine what this means for TV owners.
If this smart TV privacy process makes you rethink what your living room devices collect, it’s a good time to open your TV’s privacy and advertising menus and look for settings tied to content discovery, viewing data, or ad personalization. The result here could set clearer expectations about what a “smart” TV is allowed to know about your TV program and how clearly it needs to ask first.
