Texas AG Paxton sues major TV makers, including Sony and Samsung, LG, alleging illegal spying on Texans

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against five major television manufacturers, accusing them of secretly spying on Texans by tracking what they watch inside their homes.

The companies named in the lawsuit are Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corp. Hisense and TCL are based in China, which Paxton’s office says raises additional concerns about consumer data security because of China’s National Security Law, which can require companies to share data with the Chinese government.

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According to the lawsuit, the companies used Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology to collect personal viewing data without consumers’ knowledge or consent. ACR software can take screenshots of what appears on a television screen as often as every 500 milliseconds, track viewing habits in real time and send that information back to the company.

The attorney general’s office says the data is then sold to advertisers to target consumers across multiple platforms, turning private in-home viewing habits into profit.

Paxton’s office warned that the technology could expose sensitive personal information, including passwords, banking details and other private data.

“Companies, especially those connected to the Chinese Communist Party, have no business illegally recording Americans’ devices inside their own homes,” Paxton said in a statement. “This conduct is invasive, deceptive, and unlawful.”

Paxton said Texans have a fundamental right to privacy and should not have to give up personal information simply by owning a television.

“Owning a television does not mean surrendering your personal information to Big Tech or foreign adversaries,” he said.

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The attorney general’s office says the lawsuit is part of an ongoing effort to hold corporations accountable for what it calls deceptive and exploitative practices. Officials also cited continued concerns about data security and the potential influence of the Chinese Communist Party on companies with ties to China.

Paxton said his office will continue investigating and taking legal action against companies that put Texans’ privacy and personal data at risk.