Published
June 20, 2026
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. Samsung has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
Status
Complaint Filed
Proposed class action · DiGiacinto et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Allegation
ACR captures what you watch and sells it without consent
Suit says Samsung TVs record on-screen image and audio about every 500ms and share viewing data with advertisers
Key Law
Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA)
Plus state privacy laws · seeks statutory damages + injunctive relief
Can I Claim?
No — nothing to claim yet
No settlement, no fund, no claim form at this stage
What Is This About?
Samsung Electronics America is facing a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that its smart TVs use "automatic content recognition" (ACR) software to track what viewers watch — capturing snapshots of the screen and audio about every half-second — and then sell or share that viewing data with advertisers without obtaining users' informed consent.The case is captioned DiGiacinto et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., Case No. 1:26-cv-00196, and is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. According to the complaint, it was filed on January 9, 2026 by five named plaintiffs who own Samsung smart TVs. They seek to represent a proposed class of Samsung smart-TV owners and bring claims under the federal Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) and state privacy laws. Samsung has not been found liable, and the claims remain unproven.
What Is ACR and What Does the Lawsuit Allege?
Automatic content recognition is a technology built into many modern smart TVs that identifies what is being displayed on screen — whether it comes from a streaming app, a cable box, a game console, or a DVD. According to the complaint, Samsung's ACR allegedly works by capturing the image and audio playing on the TV roughly every 500 milliseconds, then matching those samples against a database to determine exactly what the viewer is watching, regardless of the source.The plaintiffs allege that Samsung uses this technique to build detailed profiles of viewers' watching habits and then monetizes that data. According to the complaint, Samsung has shared or sold smart-TV viewing data to companies including Google and X (formerly Twitter) for targeted advertising, allegedly without obtaining the kind of informed, specific consent the plaintiffs say the law requires. The suit frames this as tracking that most owners never knowingly agreed to when they set up their televisions.
Based on those allegations, the complaint brings claims including:
• The federal Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA)
• State privacy and consumer-protection laws
For relief, the plaintiffs seek statutory damages under the VPPA, other damages and equitable relief, an injunction to stop or change the data practices at issue, and a jury trial. As with any complaint, these are allegations only. A court has not ruled on whether Samsung's ACR practices are unlawful or whether Samsung did anything wrong, and whether the VPPA even applies to smart-TV ACR is itself a contested legal question — other smart-TV makers have defeated similar VPPA and wiretap claims at the pleading stage.
Is There a Samsung Smart TV Settlement Yet?
No. DiGiacinto et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc. is a lawsuit, not a settlement.That means:
• There is no settlement fund.
• There is no claim form.
• There is no payout, and no deadline to act.
• You do not need to do anything to "join" at this stage.
The filing of a complaint is the very beginning of a case. Samsung has not been found liable simply because a lawsuit was filed, and the case remains pending unless and until a newer docket entry says otherwise. If the case is ever resolved through a settlement, or a class is certified, a formal claims process with its own eligibility rules and deadlines would be announced separately. Be cautious of any website that claims you can "file a claim" for this matter today.
Who Could Be Affected?
The complaint describes a proposed class of Samsung smart-TV owners whose viewing data was allegedly collected through ACR. Because no class has been certified yet, the exact class definition — including which models, time periods, and states are covered — is not final and could change as the case proceeds.People most likely to follow this case include:
• Owners of Samsung smart TVs with ACR / "Viewing Information Services" enabled
• Households that stream, game, or watch cable through a Samsung TV
• Anyone concerned about how smart-TV viewing data is collected and sold
There is nothing to file right now. Following the docket is the main action available at this stage.
What Should Owners Do Now?
Even though there is nothing to claim, owners who are concerned about tracking can take a practical step today: most Samsung TVs let you turn off ACR by disabling "Viewing Information Services" in the TV's privacy, terms-and-policies, or settings menu. Doing so stops the on-screen content tracking the lawsuit describes going forward, though it does not affect any data already collected. Following the case is the main action available right now; no purchase or sign-up is required to be part of any future class.This page is informational and is not legal advice. Owners with questions about their individual rights may want to speak with a licensed attorney in their state.
What Happens Next?
From here, the case will move through the normal early stages of federal litigation. Samsung may file a response to the complaint or a motion to dismiss — and given that other smart-TV makers have beaten similar VPPA claims, an early dismissal motion is likely. The parties may exchange information in discovery, and the plaintiffs would at some point ask the court to certify a class. Any of these steps can take months, and the case could be amended, narrowed, consolidated, or resolved along the way.OpenClassActions.com will continue watching the docket for any major updates, including a motion to dismiss, class certification activity, settlement talks, or any future claim form. For related privacy litigation, see our coverage of the Amazon Fire TV viewing-data privacy lawsuit and the Crunchyroll VPPA class action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Samsung smart TV settlement yet?
No. The case is a proposed class action lawsuit. There is no settlement, no fund, and no claim form. Samsung has not been found liable just because a lawsuit was filed.What does the lawsuit allege?
According to the complaint, Samsung smart TVs use ACR to capture on-screen image and audio about every 500 milliseconds to identify what you watch, and Samsung sells or shares that viewing data with advertisers and companies such as Google and X without informed consent. The allegations are unproven.Do I need to do anything?
No. Because this is a lawsuit and not a settlement, there is nothing to claim and no deadline. If a settlement or certified class ever produces a claims process, deadlines and eligibility would be announced then. In the meantime, owners can disable "Viewing Information Services" (ACR) in the TV's privacy settings.Sources
• Bloomberg Law — "Samsung Electronics Hit With Suit Over Smart TV Data Snooping"• National Law Review — background on smart-TV VPPA litigation
• Court records — DiGiacinto et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-00196 (S.D.N.Y., filed Jan. 9, 2026)
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Status
Complaint Filed — Proposed Class Action
Case Title
DiGiacinto et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Case Number
1:26-cv-00196
Court
U.S. District Court, S.D. New York
Date Filed
January 9, 2026
Key Claim
Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) + state privacy laws
