Judge allows class action against Sony over smart TV data
Judge allows privacy suit against Sony smart TVs to proceed in court, rejecting company's arbitration attempt.
The Sony Building in Rancho Bernardo, California. (Wikimedia Commons photo by Balintawak via Courthouse News) (Photo via Courthouse News)
A federal judge has ruled that a class action lawsuit accusing Sony Electronics of secretly collecting and sharing consumer viewing data can proceed in court. Senior U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff denied the company's motion to compel arbitration, rejecting the argument that consumers were bound by terms hidden within a warranty document.
The lawsuit involves a class of consumers from Pennsylvania, Georgia, California, Washington, and Illinois who purchased Sony smart TVs between 2018 and 2025. Plaintiffs allege that the company embedded automatic content recognition technology into its devices to gather audio and video fragments, which were then shared with third parties for targeted advertising without the users' consent.
Sony had sought to move the dispute into private arbitration, citing a provision included in the limited warranty document provided with the televisions. The company argued that this provision required disputes to be settled outside of the court system unless the consumer opted out within 30 days of their purchase.
In her decision issued on Nov. 2, 2026, Judge Huff noted that the packaging and documentation failed to adequately notify consumers of the binding terms. She stated that nothing on or outside the box alerted buyers to the arbitration provision, and the document itself did not clearly indicate that it contained bilateral terms and conditions.
In addition to denying the arbitration request, the court granted in part and denied in part Sony's motion to dismiss the case. The litigation is now set to continue in federal court.