Your Chinese-Made TV Could Be Spying On You

A class action lawsuit alleges that the Chinese Communist Party could be spying on millions of Americans through their own televisions.

Attorneys from the firm Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise (“Peiffer Wolf”) filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Northern District of California against Hisense USA, which is the “U.S. operating arm” of Hisense Group Holdings, a Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer, according to the May 12 lawsuit.

Embedded in Hisense’s smart TVs “which sit in millions of American living rooms” is automated content recognition (ACR) 💻Technology, according to the lawsuit. ACR helps Hisense’s devices “capture every sound and image displayed on the screen as often as every 500 milliseconds.”

The devices distribute this data to “Hisense’s Chinese parents and affiliates, which are subject to Chinese law compelling them to share that data with the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party on demand,” the lawsuit alleges.

The plaintiffs, who believe Hisense violated their privacy rights by allegedly tracking and sharing their viewing history and behavior, seek an injunction that would prevent the continuation of such practices, The Center Square reported Sunday. They are also seeking a potentially large payout, which could include an unspecified amount of both monetary and punitive damages from Hisense.

“What has been most surprising is the scope of the alleged conduct. This is not simply a case about targeted advertising,” Peiffer Wolf attorney Brandon Wise told