Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against five major smart-TV manufacturers, accusing them of spying on Texans through automated content recognition (ACR) technology.
Lawsuits Target Five Companies
Paxton’s press release names Sony, Samsung, LG, China-based Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation as the defendants. The suit alleges that each company has been “unlawfully collecting personal data through Automated Content Recognition (“ACR”) technology.”
What ACR Does
The release describes ACR as an “uninvited, invisible digital invader.” It can capture screenshots of a user’s television display every 500 milliseconds, monitor viewing activity in real time, and transmit that information back to the company without the user’s knowledge or consent. Paxton claims the companies then sell the data to target ads across platforms for profit and that the Chinese Communist Party has access to all collected ACR data.
Temporary Restraining Order
Paxton secured a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Hisense, preventing the company from “(1) collecting and (2) using, selling, sharing, disclosing, or transferring ACR data about Texans as the case continues through the courts.”
> “The days of Chinese tech companies spying on Americans’ televisions are over,” Paxton said in the release. “This TRO is a major victory for privacy rights and the movement to stop Big Tech companies from secretly watching Texans. Let this be a notice to every other company wanting to steal Americans’ data illegally that there will be consequence for their unlawful and unethical activity.”
Consumer Alert and How to Turn Off ACR
On Friday, Paxton issued a consumer alert warning Texans about the spying capabilities of smart TVs and provided general guidance on how to disable the technology. While all smart TVs differ, the steps below offer a common approach:
- Press the Home button on your remote to open the main menu.
- Select Settings.
- Choose General, System, or Intelligence settings.
- Find Privacy, Terms & Conditions, or Privacy Choices.
- Look for options labeled Smart TV Experience, Viewing Information Services, or similar and toggle them OFF to disable ACR.
- Disable personalized advertising options such as Personalized Ads, Interest-Based Advertising, or Content Recommendation.
- If available, enable DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL DATA.
## Key Takeaways
- Five major smart-TV makers face lawsuits for alleged unlawful ACR data collection.
- A TRO has been issued against Hisense to halt its use of ACR data.
- Texans receive a consumer alert with steps to disable ACR and protect privacy.
The lawsuits and restraining order underscore a growing push to curb data collection practices on consumer electronics and protect individual privacy rights in Texas.
