People who own a Vizio TV that’s connected to the internet may be able to get money in a class action settlement.
Vizio settled a $17 million lawsuit that alleged the company was spying on smart TV owners by collecting and selling data on what they were watching without the TV owners’ consent.
The lawsuit centers on data allegedly collected on as many as 16 million TVs between February 2014 and February 2017.
The company maintains it did nothing wrong. “VIZIO denies these allegations. The court has not decided who is right,” a law firm statement said.
If you have a Vizio smart TV in your home, you may see a message about the settlement on your screen.
In 2017, the FTC separately fined Vizio $2.2 million and the company agreed to delete data and change how it collects future data on sets.
How to file a claim
You can file a claim on the Vizio TV settlement website.
Am I eligible? If you owned a Vizio smart TV in your home that was connected to the internet between February 1, 2014 and February 6, 2017, you could be eligible for a payment in the settlement. If you have questions on your eligibility, you can check the settlement website or call 877-252-4685.
What will I get? You may get between $13 and $31, depending on the number of claims filed.
How long do I have? The deadline is April 29, 2019.
What if I’m not interested? You can ignore the settlement, exclude yourself, object or even attend a hearing. Details are on the settlement website.