Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, and Hisense, claiming that these companies have been unlawfully collecting personal data through Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology. Paxton describes ACR as a 'digital invader' and characterizes Samsung TVs as a 'mass surveillance system.'

ACR technology, which has been in use for over a decade, allows devices to identify content being viewed and connect users with relevant marketing and advertising. The lawsuit alleges that these systems can capture viewing habits as frequently as every 500 milliseconds and transmit this information back to the manufacturers without user consent. While the data collected does not include personally identifiable information, it does provide third-party partners with insights into user content preferences.

This is not the first instance of legal action related to ACR technology; in 2017, Vizio paid a $2 million settlement to the Federal Trade Commission for similar violations. The lawsuit raises concerns about privacy and the extent to which technology companies monitor consumer behavior.

In response to the lawsuit, the manufacturers have refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation. However, it is advisable for consumers to review their smart TV settings regarding ACR and consider disabling them if they wish to limit data collection. Disabling ACR is reported to halt all communications between the TVs and ACR servers, potentially reducing unwanted surveillance.