Tech companies turn smart TVs into data-mining ad platforms
Updated
Updated · Slate · May 3
Tech companies turn smart TVs into data-mining ad platforms
14 articles · Updated · Slate · May 3
In the US, smart TVs are in 77% of households, while Google, YouTube and Instagram add TV features that expand tracking across devices and boost personalised advertising.
The shift lets TV makers and app companies gather viewing, search and device data, command higher ad rates than mobile, and discourage sideloading or casting that limits their data access.
States including Kentucky, Texas and California are tightening protections, but federal action remains limited since Vizio's 2017 FTC settlement as prices rise and TV interfaces grow more invasive.
Will privacy-first ads disrupt the TV industry, or is total data surveillance our future?
Is your smart TV secretly using your home internet to mine data for AI companies?
Texas Lawsuits Expose Smart TV Privacy Violations: How ACR Technology Harvests and Monetizes Viewing Data
Overview
In late 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed lawsuits against major smart TV manufacturers—Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL—accusing them of illegally collecting and monetizing detailed viewing data through Automated Content Recognition (ACR) without proper consent. This aggressive legal action followed ongoing industry practices of embedding ACR technology and using deceptive interfaces to make opting out difficult. Early in 2026, Samsung settled, agreeing to stop ACR data collection without express consent and to implement clearer consent screens. Meanwhile, litigation continues against the other companies. Additionally, consumer backlash erupted against LG for forcibly adding Microsoft Copilot AI to its TVs, prompting LG to promise a future update allowing its removal. These events highlight growing demands for transparency and control over smart TV data privacy.