Samsung class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: A group of consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Samsung Electronics America Inc.
- Why: Samsung allegedly collects and shares data about what consumers watch on their Samsung smart TVs without their consent.
- Where: The Samsung class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
A new class action lawsuit accuses Samsung Electronics America of collecting and sharing data about what consumers watch on their Samsung smart TVs without their consent.
Plaintiffs Danielle Tillery, Michael Walsh and David Rosenberg filed the class action lawsuit against Samsung in California federal court on Oct. 6.
“Samsung tells the millions of Americans who set up its televisions that it ‘neither collects any video footage nor any content displayed on the device.’ That statement is false,” the plaintiffs say.
They claim Samsung smart TVs capture what is displayed on their screens and transmit it to servers that feed Samsung’s advertising business.
The complaint alleges Samsung uses Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology to conduct the surveillance, and that its design and consent process is misleading. It argues Samsung has violated state and federal laws by collecting user data without informed consent.
Class action: Samsung TV data collection not accidental
The Samsung class action lawsuit alleges the data collection is not accidental, as the company has continued and expanded the practice despite warnings from regulators and law enforcement.
The lawsuit points to a 2017 settlement between the Federal Trade Commission, the New Jersey Attorney General and Vizio Inc. over similar data collection practices as well as a 2025 lawsuit and subsequent settlement by the state of Texas against Samsung.
The plaintiffs allege Samsung’s business model involves selling TVs at competitive prices and recouping profits by monetizing consumers’ viewing behavior.
They argue Samsung does not obtain informed consent for this data collection and instead conceals it behind vague feature names and complex setup processes. The plaintiffs claim they would not have purchased Samsung smart TVs, or would have paid less, had they known about the data collection.
The Samsung class action lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the United States whose Samsung smart TV collected, analyzed or transmitted viewing information as well as those whose viewing data was associated with identity data.
The plaintiffs are suing for invasion of privacy, negligence, unjust enrichment and violations of privacy laws. They are seeking damages, public injunctive relief and an order stopping the alleged data collection.
In another Samsung lawsuit, a California consumer alleges Samsung falsely advertises its 2026 M Series televisions, alleging they lack the hardware capability for Mini LED precision technology.
What do you think of the allegations made in this Samsung class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Catherine E. Ybarra and Sonjay C. Singh of Siri & Glimstad LLP and Andrew R. Tate of Privacy Rights Law LLC.
The Samsung class action lawsuit is Tillery, et al. v. Samsung Electronics America Inc., Case No. 3:26-cv-11448, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
One thought on Samsung smart TV lawsuit claims viewers’ habits are tracked without consent
WHAT!? I’ve been buying Samsung TV’s for a minute , I have two now. I never knew about this tracking or I definitely would have either not bought them or opted out if their was a way. This is crazy.