Automatic Content Recognition is facing increased scrutiny in the United States as regulators and privacy advocates examine how smart TVs identify on-screen content and use viewing information. A television equipped with ACR can analyze what appears on the display and create a record of viewing activity, according to cybersecurity expert Will Greenwald of PCMag.com.
The issue is relevant to the connected-display channel because ACR is integrated into smart TV platforms rather than added as a separate accessory. The technology can identify programming shown on the screen and generate data that may be used by the television manufacturer or platform operator. Greenwald said the information can also be sold for marketing purposes.
“It puts all that information together and makes it marketing data that can be used by the TV manufacturer, the platform runner, it can be sold.” — Will Greenwald, PCMag.com
Texas legal action names five manufacturers
In December 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and TCL. The lawsuits alleged that the companies unlawfully collected consumers’ personal data through ACR without obtaining proper consent. The allegations included claims that some ACR systems could capture images of material displayed on a television as frequently as every 500 milliseconds and transmit viewing information to the companies.
The legal action has already produced a settlement involving Samsung. In March 2026, Samsung agreed with Texas to stop collecting ACR viewing data from Texans without first receiving express consent. The agreement also requires the company to provide consumers with a new consent screen. The cases involving the other manufacturers were still ongoing when the Samsung settlement was announced.
Consent and configuration remain central issues
For professional dealers and integrators, the dispute highlights the importance of understanding the privacy settings and consent flows attached to connected displays. A television may be installed as part of a larger home theater or automation project, but its data-collection behavior is governed by the TV platform and the choices made during setup.
- Technology: Automatic Content Recognition identifies material displayed on a smart TV and can create viewing data.
- Companies named in the Texas lawsuits: Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and TCL.
- Samsung settlement: The company agreed to obtain express consent from Texans before collecting ACR viewing data and to add a new consent screen.
- Status: The cases against the other manufacturers were described as ongoing when the Samsung agreement was announced.
The consumer-facing reaction also illustrates the gap between a television’s visible functions and its connected services. Vernon Johnson, speaking to Action News Jax, questioned whether a television in the home could monitor viewing habits. The concern is not limited to televisions, however. Greenwald said similar data practices could extend across other connected devices that people carry or use throughout the day.
ACR therefore remains both a platform feature and a compliance issue for the display industry. The Texas proceedings focus on whether manufacturers obtained adequate permission before collecting viewing information, while the Samsung agreement establishes a specific consent requirement for Texans. Those developments place greater attention on the way smart TVs are activated, explained and configured after installation.
