Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against five major television companies for spying on Texans by secretly recording what consumers watch in their own homes. The five major corporations being sued are as follows: Sony, Samsung, LG, as well as Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation (“TCL”), which are both based in China. These Chinese ties pose serious concerns about consumer data harvesting and are exacerbated by China’s National Security Law, which gives its government the capability to get its hands on U.S. consumer data.
These companies have been unlawfully collecting personal data through Automated Content Recognition (“ACR”) technology. ACR in its simplest terms is an uninvited, invisible digital invader. 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.
“Companies, especially those connected to the Chinese Communist Party, have no business illegally recording Americans’ devices inside their own homes,” said Attorney General Paxton. “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.”
Attorney General Paxton remains committed to holding corporations accountable for deceptive, abusive, or exploitative practices. The Office of the Attorney General recognizes the ongoing threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the safety, data security, and personal privacy of Texans, and will continue to aggressively investigate and stop any company that puts consumers at risk.
Click to read the lawsuits against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL.