This morning, while savoring a cup of my morning coffee—this time an Americano, brewed in a home coffee maker, a Flogers Classic Roast—it's my custom to enjoy this beverage while catching up on world events. Perhaps it's to avoid missing anything, to understand the nuances between the lines, because that's where the substance lies. Sometimes, news shouldn't be viewed superficially; you have to peel back the layers to truly grasp what's happening.
I reiterate, a disclaimer: this space, "A Coffee Amidst the Noise," is a section of my blog intended solely to outline some personal opinions on various topics of interest. I leave it to the reader to verify everything and draw their own conclusions.
Today I want to address a topic that concerns many people in the technology sector: the limits of technology use, such as Artificial Intelligence, in human activities. I encourage you to review information about how AI is being used in government decision-making in some countries, or in conflict situations.
There are prominent technology leaders who promote the use of AI without apparent limits, to reduce human effort, or for security purposes. In a previous post, I shared the case of its use for electoral purposes in different parts of the world; I invite you to read it. https://yuribravo.com/la-democracia-en-la-era-de-la-inteligencia-artificial/ .
Well, perhaps readers may see this as very far removed from everyday life, and as the saying goes: "What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over," all this seems like a topic from other very distant realities, but I'm afraid that's not the case.
Reading the news I came across this story: “Texas sues Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL for alleged espionage,” you can read it directly in the source (https://dplnews.com/texas-demanda-a-sony-samsung-lg-hisense-y-tcl-por-presunto-espionaje/).
Some details of the lawsuit:
Attorney General Ken Paxton filed five separate lawsuits in December 2025 against LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL, and Hisense for violating the Texas Consumer Protection Act. The lawsuits accuse the companies of using ACR (Automatic Camera Capture) to capture screens every 500 milliseconds, monitor display activity (including HDMI), and sell data without permission or clear disclosure.
Key accusations
Secret compilation: Real-time data transmission without user knowledge, including content from connected consoles or laptops.
Security concerns: Special emphasis on TCL and Hisense (Chinese), due to possible access by the Chinese government via its National Security Law.
Advertising profit: Data sold for ad targeting, similar to Nielsen but without payment or transparency.
| Samsung | Every minute | “Mass surveillance system” |
| LG | Every 10-15 ms | HDMI data YouTube |
| Sony | Not specified | Puromarketing general compilation |
| TCL/Hisense | Every 500 ms | >200 clicks to deactivate |
Perhaps you accepted the fine print terms of service on your Smart TV without realizing it, or perhaps you don't see it as relevant to your daily life. Perhaps there are conspiracy theorists out there who claim that smartphones "listen all the time" and that advertising patterns are established based on this in emails, social media, and so on.
I invite you to read the sources and draw your own conclusions. Also, for those who wish to do so, I'd like to mention that you can disable ACR in your TV's privacy settings to prevent it.
I also invite you to read this and other articles on the blog, and if you like it, please share it. See you soon.