Samsung Limits TV Tracking After Texas Case

Samsung has agreed to stop collecting certain smart TV viewing data from Texas users without clear consent after settling a lawsuit with the Texas Attorney General's Office.

The case focused on Automated Content Recognition, or ACR, a technology that tracks what viewers watch by sampling audio or video from the screen.

ACR works by capturing brief snippets of sound or images, turning them into digital fingerprints, and matching them with a database of shows, movies, or advertisements.

Texas officials argued that consumers were not properly informed about the monitoring, describing the practice as a form of “watchware” that profiles viewing habits for advertising and monetization.

Samsung must now provide clearer privacy prompts and obtain explicit consent from Texas users.

The company also faces a federal class action in New York over claims that viewing data was shared with platforms like Google and X.

Users anywhere can reduce tracking by disabling “Viewing Information Services” or similar ACR settings in their TV’s privacy menu.