Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims television manufacturers are “illegally recording Americans” inside their own homes using smart TVs. As a result, he has filed a lawsuit against five of the biggest television makers.
Paxton alleges television manufacturers “have been unlawfully collecting personal data through Automated Content Recognition (‘ACR’) technology.” Separate lawsuits were filed against Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, and TCL Technology Group Corporation. Hisense and TCL both operate out of China.
“ACR in its simplest terms is an uninvited, invisible digital invader,” Paxton wrote in a statement. “This software 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. The companies then sell that consumer information to target ads across platforms for a profit.
“This technology puts users’ privacy and sensitive information, such as passwords, bank information, and other personal information at risk.”
“Consumers must circumnavigate a long, non-intuitive path to exercise their right to opt-out,” the Samsung lawsuit reads. It added that “privacy choices are not meaningful because opt-out rights are scattered across four or more separate menus which requires approximately 15+ clicks.”
Texas AG says the Chinese government could use the data collected from smart TVs
The Texas AG said he has “serious concerns about consumer data harvesting” by the two Chinese companies. In particular, he is worried that China’s National Security Law gives its government access to U.S. consumer data.
“Companies, especially those connected to the Chinese Communist Party, have no business illegally recording Americans’ devices inside their own homes,” Paxton said. “This conduct is invasive, deceptive, and unlawful. The fundamental right to privacy will be protected in Texas because owning a television does not mean surrendering your personal information to Big Tech or foreign adversaries.”
In the lawsuit, Paxton is seeking up to $10,000 for each violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. He is also seeking up to $250,000 for each violation affecting people 65 years or older. He is also asking for restraining orders against the companies while the lawsuits make their way through the court system.