Indiana man files lawsuit against Vizio for collecting personal data
Class-action lawsuit says smart TV manufacturer collects data on viewing habits and sells it to third parties without consumers' knowledge.
An Indianapolis-area man is suing TV manufacturer Vizio Inc. for collecting data about his viewing habits and selling it to third parties.
The class-action lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, states that the “defendant’s smart televisions collect personally identifying information … through its Smart Interactivity software, and then discloses this private information to third parties, such as advertisers or data brokers.”
“What people don’t understand is in this era of interactive activity is who has access to your information and what they know about you,” said Lynn Toops, an attorney at Cohen & Malad, who is representing Indiana resident Trent Strader. “Consumers need to understand that if they connect this TV to the Internet, Vizio is collecting information and sending it to advertisers.”
The lawsuit further states that people did not consent to or know about Vizio’s practices, which are facing several legal challenges in other states.
The California-based company did not return a request for comment. Strader also did not return a call seeking comment.
Toops said this case against Vizio most likely will be bundled with others and heard in one central court. Toops said she will seek the maximum financial penalty against Vizio allowed under the law on behalf of Strader.
“It needs to be absolutely clear what’s happening,” Toops said. “That way, the consumer can make the choice to buy the product or not, and there should be an option to turn it off or understand that they can’t.”
Call IndyStar reporter Kris Turner at (317) 444-6047. Follow him on Twitter: @krisnturner.