Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against major television manufacturers – including Sony, LG, Samsung, TCL, and Hisense – accusing them of secretly collecting viewing data from users through Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology. The core claim is that these companies are taking screenshots of what viewers watch every 500 milliseconds without explicit consent.
What is Automated Content Recognition (ACR)?
ACR is a common feature in modern smart TVs. It analyzes content being displayed to serve targeted ads or personalized recommendations. While not inherently malicious, the lawsuits allege that this process is happening covertly, raising privacy concerns. Most smart TVs allow users to disable ACR in their settings, but it’s often buried in menus and requires awareness of the feature’s existence.
The Allegations and Concerns
Paxton’s office asserts that the companies transmit this screenshot data back to themselves without notifying consumers. The lawsuits target not only Chinese firms like TCL and Hisense, but also South Korean (Samsung) and Japanese (Sony) manufacturers.
However, the Attorney General’s statement frames the issue with a strong geopolitical angle, emphasizing the “ongoing threat” from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This rhetoric raises questions about whether the lawsuits are driven primarily by privacy concerns or by broader anti-China sentiment. The press release lacks specific details on how data collected by these companies poses a tangible security risk to Texans.
Why This Matters: The Privacy Landscape
The lawsuits highlight a growing trend: consumer data collection by everyday devices. Modern TVs are effectively surveillance tools that gather granular information about viewing habits, which can be valuable for advertising, market research, or even government intelligence. The fact that this data collection is happening silently underscores the lack of transparency in the tech industry.
The lawsuits also tap into broader anxieties about foreign data access. While the concerns about Chinese companies are emphasized, any firm collecting and monetizing user data without clear consent poses a risk.
What Can You Do?
Consumers concerned about ACR should check their TV settings. Most manufacturers allow disabling the feature, although the process may vary.
“Owning a television does not mean surrendering your personal information to Big Tech or foreign adversaries,” Paxton stated.
The lawsuits underscore the need for stronger consumer protections and clearer disclosure regarding data collection practices by tech companies.
These cases will likely set precedents for how data privacy is treated in smart devices. Whether the claims are justified or not, the lawsuits will push manufacturers to re-evaluate how they collect and use user data.
