Have you ever had the feeling that your TV knows what you’re doing—or what you’re watching? It may not have been just a feeling, but reality. As the case in Texas shows, major television manufacturers may have been secretly collecting information about users’ favorite movies and shows without their consent.
The lawsuits were filed by the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton and target TV manufacturers that use automatic content recognition (ACR) technologies. These mechanisms make it possible to identify what users are watching—whether the content comes from cable television, streaming apps, or gaming consoles—and then link that information with advertising data.
According to the allegations, data collected by the TVs was shared with third parties for advertising purposes without obtaining clear and informed user consent. Prosecutors argue that consumers were not adequately informed about the scope of monitoring or the fact that their data could be sold to companies specializing in targeted advertising.
The lawsuits are based on provisions of Texas consumer protection law and concern violations related to privacy and misleading business practices. The Attorney General argues that TV manufacturers exploited consumers’ trust in household devices, effectively turning televisions into tools for mass data collection without appropriate legal safeguards.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Smart TV manufacturers have faced allegations related to ACR and user tracking. In the past, companies in this sector have reached settlements or paid fines over similar practices. However, the current lawsuits may carry particular weight given the growing importance of telemetry data in the advertising ecosystem.
The Texas case clearly shows how many devices operate in the background, collecting data in ways that are difficult for users to notice. If the court sides with the prosecution, TV manufacturers could be forced to change how they inform customers and to limit or disable tracking features that are enabled by default on their devices.