In light of the lawsuit, Samsung decided to settle. As part of the settlement, Samsung agreed to update its smart TVs and implement measures—like disclosures and consent screens—to give consumers more control over the data that they’re willing to share with the company.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a “major agreement” with Samsung, which his office had accused of collecting “Automated Content Recognition” data from consumers’ smart TVs without first obtaining consent.
The lawsuit was first filed in December 2025. In a press release, Paxton’s office asserted that five major companies—including Samsung, Sony, LG, Hisense, and TCL—engaged in the unlawful collection of Automated Content Recognition data, or ACR. Paxton’s lawsuit claimed that ACR is programmed to capture screenshots of a user’s television display every 500 milliseconds. It can also monitor viewing activity in real time and transmit collected data to the company without a user’s consent or knowledge.
Paxton, a staunch conservative and ally of President Donald Trump, also emphasized the potential risk posed by televisions manufactured by China-based companies.
“Companies, especially those connected to the Chinese Communist Party, have no business illegally recording Americans’ devices inside their own homes,” Paxton said. “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.”
In light of the lawsuit, Samsung decided to settle. As part of the settlement, Samsung agreed to update its smart TVs and implement measures—like disclosures and consent screens—to give consumers more control over the data that they’re willing to share with the company.
“I commend Samsung for being one of the first smart TV companies in the world to make these important changes,” Paxton said in a statement. “Texans must be fully informed about whether their data is collected and be in full control of how it’s used. The changes outlined in this agreement help accomplish both of those aims and are an important step forward in reforming smart TV manufacturers’ data collection practices. 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.”
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