One day after issuing a temporary restraining order against tech giant Samsung, a Texas court set that order aside, rendering it null.
The initial order was put in place after Texas AG Ken Paxton accused Samsung, along with four other television manufacturers, of spying on state residents.
Samsung restraining order vacated
The latest:
A Collin County district court vacated the order at 10:10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, one day after the TRO was put in place.
The order vacating the TRO says the court found the original order should be set aside, giving it no force or effect whatsoever.
Samsung reached out to FOX Local to add that their TRO hearing happened Friday, Jan. 9, and the TRO application was denied.
Original reporting on the TRO against Samsung came after Paxton put out a press release on Tuesday announcing the order had been made. It should be noted that Paxton did not inform the public that the order was vacated that day.
What we don't know:
No reason was given for vacating the TRO.
Texas gets restraining order against Samsung
The backstory:
The original TRO, which has since been nullified, said the court found that Samsung does collect and use user data with Automated Content Recognition technology, thereby violating the Texas Business & Commerce Code.
Samsung is therefore prohibited from continuing to collect and use or share ACR data until further court proceedings take place.
Texas gets restraining order against Samsung after accusations of spying
The order says the court found that Samsung does collect and use user data with Automated Content Recognition technology, thereby violating the Texas Business & Commerce Code.
Paxton sues TV makers
Paxton is concerned over Automated Content Recognition technology, which recognizes the sights and sounds on some TV sets for content optimization.
The attorney general referred to ACR as "an uninvited, invisible digital invader," saying it sends your data back to the company without your consent.
Paxton sued Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation ("TCL") over the tech. The last two are based in China, prompting Paxton's national privacy fears.
Hisense was also hit with a TRO shortly after the lawsuits were filed.
Texas gets restraining order against TV maker after software lawsuit
A temporary restraining order has been put in place against Hisense after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit claiming the company spied on Americans.
What is ACR technology?
Dig deeper:
In the most basic terms, ACR technology sees and hears what you're watching so it can get an idea of your taste in content, and then recommend things you might like based on what you've seen.
This technology is typically opt-in, meaning you have to agree to let your TV use it. If your TV doesn't ask your permission, the feature can still be turned off in the user settings.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Samsung and a Collin County court.