Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reached an agreement with Samsung Electronics America Inc. requiring the company to obtain explicit consumer consent before collecting viewing data from smart TVs, following a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of unauthorized data practices.
Under the deal, Samsung must stop gathering or processing Automated Content Recognition (ACR) data from Texas users without their express approval. The company is also obligated to quickly revise its smart TV interfaces to include prominent disclosures and consent prompts, allowing consumers to decide knowingly whether their information is tracked and how it is handled.
The settlement resolves allegations that Samsung, along with four other manufacturers, improperly collected user data. Paxton has ongoing lawsuits against Sony, LG, Hisense, and TCL Technology Group Corp. — the latter two based in China — for similar claims of illegally monitoring Texans.
A temporary restraining order issued against Samsung was lifted by a Texas court just one day later. Another such order was placed on Hisense soon after the suits were filed.
Paxton described ACR technology as “an uninvited, invisible digital invader” that transmits user data to companies without permission. The feature identifies audio and visual content on internet-connected TVs to tailor recommendations based on viewing habits.
“I commend Samsung for being one of the first smart TV companies in the world to make these important changes,” Paxton said.
“While Samsung has stepped up to promptly implement important safeguards for consumers, other smart TV companies have instead chosen to illegally spy on Texans and act as digital invaders in their homes. Those companies will be held accountable, and our legal actions against them will move forward,” Paxton continued.
In its statement, Samsung denied any wrongdoing but emphasized cooperation:
“The settlement affirms what Samsung has said since this lawsuit was filed – Samsung TVs do not spy on consumers. In fact, Samsung allows you to control your privacy – and change your privacy settings at any time. We hope our updated language will provide additional reassurance to our customers and serve as a new standard for others in the television industry.”
The agreement follows Paxton’s filing of five lawsuits last week targeting Chinese Communist Party influence, aimed at shielding Texans and prioritizing American interests.
