Samsung, LG and Vizio Claim to Sell Every Pixel. Inside Netflix and YouTube, They're Blind.
Samsung tells advertisers its ACR "captures every pixel being passed back through the glass," and Vizio sells "glass-level" data from 28M+ devices. Inside the native Netflix and YouTube apps, which carry more than a fifth of US TV viewing, the filings, lab tests and LG's own statement say ACR mostly goes dark.
Read the full investigation on ADOTAT →Key findings
- Vizio's last 10-K says contracts with Netflix and Disney+ restrict it from using viewing data from their content.
- LG said on Sept. 12, 2026 that its ACR does not operate inside Netflix or YouTube apps.
- In a 2024 lab study, LG's ACR traffic inside Netflix and YouTube fell to idle levels; Samsung's US fingerprint server showed none.
- Nielsen found two ACR partners missed 23% of viewed minutes on stations they did not monitor.
- Samsung, LG Ad Solutions, Vizio, Roku, Samba TV and TVision did not respond to written questions.
On the record
“If you want our native app on your TVs, then you have to agree to zero data collection when it's active.”
“Where are the gaps in your coverage, for both content and advertising, and why?”
The full story, with the documents, the numbers and the responses, is on new.adotat.com. Get ADOTAT in your inbox: subscribe free.