Home / Technology / Texas Sues TV Giants Over Home Surveillance Claims
Texas Sues TV Giants Over Home Surveillance Claims
16 Dec
Summary
- Texas sues Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL for alleged spying.
- TVs accused of using ACR to record viewing habits and camera feeds.
- Lawsuit seeks penalties for violating state's deceptive trade practices.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated legal action against five prominent television manufacturers: Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL. The lawsuits, filed recently, accuse these companies of operating a "mass surveillance system" through Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology embedded in their smart TVs.
ACR allegedly records viewing habits, including streaming services, cable TV, and online videos. Concerns are also raised about the capture of security camera feeds and other device displays. Paxton claims manufacturers deceptively enable ACR, with some, like Samsung and Hisense, reportedly capturing screenshots every half-second.
The lawsuits assert these practices violate Texas's Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Paxton seeks civil penalties and an injunction to halt the collection and sale of viewing data from Texas consumers, emphasizing the protection of residents' privacy against invasive data collection.
