Samsung Settles Texas Lawsuit Over Smart TV ACR Viewing Data Collection
Samsung reached a settlement with the Texas Attorney General to resolve allegations that its smart TVs collected and processed Automated Content Recognition (ACR) viewing data without Texans’ express, informed consent. Texas alleged Samsung’s ACR-based Viewing Information Services (VIS) captured viewing behavior (including claims it could capture on-screen content) and used it for targeted advertising, and a court initially found “good cause to believe” consumers were automatically enrolled via dark patterns that made privacy disclosures difficult to review.
Under the agreement, Samsung will revise privacy disclosures and implement clear, conspicuous disclosure and consent screens so consumers can make an informed choice about data collection and use; Samsung said it does not concede wrongdoing and maintains its prior notices complied with state regulations, while emphasizing it does not “spy” on customers. Texas’s broader litigation against other smart TV manufacturers—Sony, LG, Hisense, and TCL—remains ongoing.
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