AUSTIN (LN) — The agreement, announced in a press release, requires LG to update its smart TVs to display a pop-up disclosure explaining how viewing data may be collected and used. The disclosure will also appear on LG’s website, providing users with a clear way to opt out of data collection agreements.
Under the terms of the settlement, LG must also prohibit the transfer of viewing data to the Chinese Communist Party in any form. The agreement aims to prevent Texans’ data from being unlawfully collected through ACR technology or transferred without users’ knowledge or consent.
“LG has now taken important steps to ensure that users’ viewing data will not be collected without their informed consent and that consumers maintain their fundamental right to privacy in their own homes,” Paxton said. “No electronics company should be collecting consumers’ data and exposing Texans to potential surveillance by the Chinese government.”
The settlement follows Paxton’s lawsuit against LG regarding the use of ACR technology. It builds upon a previous agreement Paxton’s office reached with Samsung to address similar privacy concerns.
The Office of the Attorney General is pursuing wide-ranging action against television companies to protect Texans from being monitored in their homes. Cases against Sony, Hisense, and TCL Technology remain ongoing. Hisense and TCL Technology are based in China.
Paxton stated he would continue to hold other smart TV companies accountable for unlawfully using ACR technology.