Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Hisense, a China-based smart television manufacturer, halting the company's ability to collect personal data from Texans through Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology.
Paxton's Office describes the order as a first-of-its-kind legal action against a smart TV manufacturer operating in the United States.
The TRO follows a lawsuit filed earlier this week by the Office of the Attorney General against Hisense and our other major television manufacturers. The lawsuit alleges that Hisense unlawfully collected consumer data without users' knowledge or consent through ACR software embedded in its smart televisions.
According to the Attorney General's office, ACR technology captures images and sounds displayed on televisions as frequently as every 500 milliseconds, allowing companies to monitor viewing behavior in real time. The collected data is then allegedly sold for profit, raising concerns about consumer privacy and data security.
State officials further argue that the data collection is especially troubling given China's National Security Law, which they say allows the Chinese Communist Party to access such information.
The TRO prohibits Hisense from collecting ACR data from Texans and keeps the company from using, selling, sharing, disclosing, or transferring any previously collected ACR data while the case proceeds through the courts.
"The days of Chinese tech companies spying on Americans' televisions are over," said Paxton in a statement. "This TRO is a major victory for privacy rights and the movement to stop Big Tech companies from secretly watching Texans."
Paxton added that the legal action sends a broader warning to other technology companies operating in Texas.
"Let this be a notice to every other company wanting to steal Americans' data that there will be consequences for their unlawful and unethical activity," he said.
The lawsuit against Hisense is ongoing, and the temporary restraining order will stay in effect until the courts consider further action.
