Vizio - Revision history

Andrew V: /* References */

2026-04-15T18:29:06Z

References

Andrew V: /* References */ added archive links

2026-04-15T18:18:29Z

References: added archive links

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:18, 15 April 2026
Line 12:		Line 12:
	\|Website=https://www.vizio.com/		\|Website=https://www.vizio.com/
	}}		}}
	'''Vizio''' is a television manufacturer whose advertising & data collection business generates more gross profit than the hardware it sells. In Vizio's final quarter as an independent public company (Q3 2024), its Platform+ segment reported $115.8 million in gross profit while its Device segment lost $6.7 million.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241101202974/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2024-Financial-Results \|~~title~~=VIZIO HOLDING CORP. Reports Q3 2024 Financial Results \|date=~~2024~~-11-01 \|website=BusinessWire}}</ref> The company has been a subsidiary of [[Walmart]] since December 2024, when Walmart completed its acquisition for $11.50 per share.<ref name="walmart-acquisition">{{Cite web \|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio \|~~title~~=~~Walmart Completes Acquisition~~ of ~~VIZIO~~ \|date=~~2024~~-12-03 \|website=Walmart Corporate}}</ref> Vizio has faced an [[Federal Trade Commission\|FTC]] enforcement action for unauthorized data collection, an ongoing GPL lawsuit from the Software Freedom Conservancy, & a reliability downgrade from Consumer Reports.		'''Vizio''' is a television manufacturer whose advertising & data collection business generates more gross profit than the hardware it sells. In Vizio's final quarter as an independent public company (Q3 2024), its Platform+ segment reported $115.8 million in gross profit while its Device segment lost $6.7 million.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024">{{Cite web \|date=2024-11-01 \|title=VIZIO HOLDING CORP. Reports Q3 2024 Financial Results \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241101202974/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2024-Financial-Results \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250430221917/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241101202974/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2024-Financial-Results \|archive-date=2025-04-30 \|website=[[BusinessWire]]}}</ref> The company has been a subsidiary of [[Walmart]] since December 2024, when Walmart completed its acquisition for $11.50 per share.<ref name="walmart-acquisition">{{Cite web \|date=2024-12-03 \|title=Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO \|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260325162230/https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio \|archive-date=2026-03-25 \|website=[[Walmart]] Corporate}}</ref> Vizio has faced an [[Federal Trade Commission\|FTC]] enforcement action for unauthorized data collection, an ongoing GPL lawsuit from the Software Freedom Conservancy, & a reliability downgrade from Consumer Reports.

	==Background==		==Background==

	Vizio was founded in 2002 & built its early market share by selling budget-priced LCD televisions through big-box retailers. The company went public in March 2021 (NYSE: VZIO) & positioned itself around its SmartCast operating system & advertising capabilities rather than hardware alone.<ref name="vizio-q3-2021">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211109006429/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2021-Financial-Results \|~~title~~=VIZIO HOLDING CORP. Reports Q3 2021 Financial Results \|date=~~2021~~-11-09 \|website=BusinessWire}}</ref>		Vizio was founded in 2002 & built its early market share by selling budget-priced LCD televisions through big-box retailers. The company went public in March 2021 (NYSE: VZIO) & positioned itself around its SmartCast operating system & advertising capabilities rather than hardware alone.<ref name="vizio-q3-2021">{{Cite web \|date=2021-11-09 \|title=VIZIO HOLDING CORP. Reports Q3 2021 Financial Results \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211109006429/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2021-Financial-Results \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251217060505/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211109006429/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2021-Financial-Results \|archive-date=2025-12-17 \|website=[[BusinessWire]]}}</ref>

	===Platform+ vs. Device financials===		===Platform+ vs. Device financials===
Line 22:		Line 22:
	Vizio reports its finances in two segments: Device (TVs & soundbars) & Platform+ (advertising, data licensing, & content distribution). The trajectory of these segments documents the transition from a hardware manufacturer to a data & advertising company.		Vizio reports its finances in two segments: Device (TVs & soundbars) & Platform+ (advertising, data licensing, & content distribution). The trajectory of these segments documents the transition from a hardware manufacturer to a data & advertising company.

	In Q3 2021, Platform+ generated $57.3 million in gross profit, more than double the $25.6 million the Device segment earned in the same quarter.<ref name="vizio-q3-2021" /> Three years later, the gap had widened to the point where hardware was losing money outright. By Q4 2023, Platform+ gross profit reached $105.4 million (up 27% year over year); total company gross profit for that quarter was $98.1 million, meaning the Device segment was a net drag on profitability.<ref name="vizio-q4-2023">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240226026773/en/VIZIO-Holding-Corp.-Reports-Q4-2023-Financial-Results \|~~title~~=VIZIO Holding Corp. Reports Q4 2023 Financial Results \|date=2024-02-26 \|website=BusinessWire}}</ref> By Q3 2024, Platform+ gross profit reached $115.8 million while Device posted a loss of $6.7 million.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />		In Q3 2021, Platform+ generated $57.3 million in gross profit, more than double the $25.6 million the Device segment earned in the same quarter.<ref name="vizio-q3-2021" /> Three years later, the gap had widened to the point where hardware was losing money outright. By Q4 2023, Platform+ gross profit reached $105.4 million (up 27% year over year); total company gross profit for that quarter was $98.1 million, meaning the Device segment was a net drag on profitability.<ref name="vizio-q4-2023">{{Cite web \|date=2024-02-26 \|title=VIZIO Holding Corp. Reports Q4 2023 Financial Results \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240226026773/en/VIZIO-Holding-Corp.-Reports-Q4-2023-Financial-Results \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240306160125/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240226026773/en/VIZIO-Holding-Corp.-Reports-Q4-2023-Financial-Results \|archive-date=2024-03-06 \|website=[[BusinessWire]]}}</ref> By Q3 2024, Platform+ gross profit reached $115.8 million while Device posted a loss of $6.7 million.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
Line 39:		Line 39:
	===Walmart acquisition===		===Walmart acquisition===

	Walmart announced its acquisition of Vizio on February 20, 2024 & completed the deal on December 3, 2024 for $11.50 per share, valuing the company at approximately $2.3 billion in fully diluted equity.<ref name="walmart-acquisition" /> The acquisition expanded Walmart's $6.4 billion advertising business by adding Vizio's SmartCast platform & its 19.1 million active user accounts.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio">{{Cite web \|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/ \|~~title~~=~~Newly~~ purchased ~~Vizio TVs~~ now require ~~Walmart~~ accounts to use smart features \|~~author=Scharon Harding \|~~date=2026-03-24 \|website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref name="vizio-q3-2024" /> Walmart's public statements about the deal focused on Vizio's advertising platform rather than its hardware. In Walmart's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings call (February 2026), CFO John David Rainey stated that Vizio had seen "triple-digit growth in advertising" during that quarter.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />		Walmart announced its acquisition of Vizio on February 20, 2024 & completed the deal on December 3, 2024 for $11.50 per share, valuing the company at approximately $2.3 billion in fully diluted equity.<ref name="walmart-acquisition" /> The acquisition expanded Walmart's $6.4 billion advertising business by adding Vizio's SmartCast platform & its 19.1 million active user accounts.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio">{{Cite web \|author=Scharon Harding \|date=2026-03-24 \|title=Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features \|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260411173428/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/ \|archive-date=2026-04-11 \|website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref><ref name="vizio-q3-2024" /> Walmart's public statements about the deal focused on Vizio's advertising platform rather than its hardware. In Walmart's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings call (February 2026), CFO John David Rainey stated that Vizio had seen "triple-digit growth in advertising" during that quarter.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />

	In March 2026, Walmart announced that newly purchased Vizio TVs require a Walmart account to access smart TV features, linking streaming data with Walmart's retail advertising infrastructure.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />		In March 2026, Walmart announced that newly purchased Vizio TVs require a Walmart account to access smart TV features, linking streaming data with Walmart's retail advertising infrastructure.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />
Line 47:		Line 47:
	Vizio's business model treats the television as a delivery mechanism for advertising & data collection. The consumer's purchase price subsidizes the hardware; Vizio's profit comes from the viewing data & ad impressions generated after the TV is in someone's home.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />		Vizio's business model treats the television as a delivery mechanism for advertising & data collection. The consumer's purchase price subsidizes the hardware; Vizio's profit comes from the viewing data & ad impressions generated after the TV is in someone's home.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />

	The FTC found in 2017 that Vizio collected second-by-second viewing data from 11 million smart TVs without consumer knowledge or consent, then sold that data to third parties who appended it with demographic information including sex, age, income, marital status, household size, & education level.<ref name="ftc-2017">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/02/vizio-pay-22-million-ftc-state-new-jersey-settle-charges-it-collected-viewing-histories-11-million \|~~title~~=~~VIZIO to Pay $2~~.~~2 Million to FTC, State of New Jersey to Settle Charges It Collected Viewing Histories on~~ 11 ~~Million Smart Televisions without Users' Consent~~ \|date=~~2017~~-02-06 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref> While Vizio's contracts with third parties prohibited re-identification of consumers by name, those contracts permitted profiling by sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, & home ownership status.<ref name="ftc-blog-2017">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313091120/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|archive-date=2022-03-13 \|title=What Vizio was doing behind the TV screen \|author=Lesley Fair \|date=2017-02-06 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref> A legal analysis by Davis Wright Tremaine noted that the FTC's enforcement action against Vizio set a precedent for how regulators treat automated viewing data collection across the smart TV industry.<ref name="dwt-2017">{{Cite web \|author1=McMeley \|first=Christin S. \|author2=Glist \|first2=Paul \|author3=Seiver \|first3=John D. \|author4=Reynolds \|first4=Alexander B. \|date=Oct 2017 \|title=The Real Takeaway From VIZIO's Privacy FTC Settlement \|url=https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202003735/https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|archive-date=2020-12-02 \|website=Davis Wright Tremaine LLP}}</ref>		The FTC found in 2017 that Vizio collected second-by-second viewing data from 11 million smart TVs without consumer knowledge or consent, then sold that data to third parties who appended it with demographic information including sex, age, income, marital status, household size, & education level.<ref name="ftc-2017">{{Cite web \|date=2017-02-06 \|title=VIZIO to Pay $2.2 Million to FTC, State of New Jersey to Settle Charges It Collected Viewing Histories on 11 Million Smart Televisions without Users' Consent \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/02/vizio-pay-22-million-ftc-state-new-jersey-settle-charges-it-collected-viewing-histories-11-million \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260317153711/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/02/vizio-pay-22-million-ftc-state-new-jersey-settle-charges-it-collected-viewing-histories-11-million \|archive-date=2026-03-17 \|website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}}</ref> While Vizio's contracts with third parties prohibited re-identification of consumers by name, those contracts permitted profiling by sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, & home ownership status.<ref name="ftc-blog-2017">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313091120/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|archive-date=2022-03-13 \|title=What Vizio was doing behind the TV screen \|author=Lesley Fair \|date=2017-02-06 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref> A legal analysis by Davis Wright Tremaine noted that the FTC's enforcement action against Vizio set a precedent for how regulators treat automated viewing data collection across the smart TV industry.<ref name="dwt-2017">{{Cite web \|author1=McMeley \|first=Christin S. \|author2=Glist \|first2=Paul \|author3=Seiver \|first3=John D. \|author4=Reynolds \|first4=Alexander B. \|date=Oct 2017 \|title=The Real Takeaway From VIZIO's Privacy FTC Settlement \|url=https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202003735/https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|archive-date=2020-12-02 \|website=Davis Wright Tremaine LLP}}</ref>

	Vizio's current privacy policy describes the use of Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology to collect "Viewing Data" about what is displayed on the television.<ref name="vizio-privacy">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/terms/privacy-policy \|title=VIZIO Privacy Policy \|website=Vizio \|access-date=2026-03-31}}</ref> Since the Walmart acquisition, Vizio TVs present a consent toggle to combine Vizio OS data with a user's Walmart account data for advertising purposes. Even with this toggle disabled, Vizio's privacy policy states that limited data disclosure to Walmart continues for purposes including aggregate audience measurement & pseudonymized target audience groups.<ref name="vizio-privacy" />		Vizio's current privacy policy describes the use of Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology to collect "Viewing Data" about what is displayed on the television.<ref name="vizio-privacy">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/terms/privacy-policy \|title=VIZIO Privacy Policy \|website=Vizio \|access-date=2026-03-31}}</ref> Since the Walmart acquisition, Vizio TVs present a consent toggle to combine Vizio OS data with a user's Walmart account data for advertising purposes. Even with this toggle disabled, Vizio's privacy policy states that limited data disclosure to Walmart continues for purposes including aggregate audience measurement & pseudonymized target audience groups.<ref name="vizio-privacy" />

Andrew V at 18:08, 15 April 2026

2026-04-15T18:08:42Z

Show changes

Louis: fixed citation sourcing: q3 2024 financial figures ($115.8m platform+ gross profit, -$6.7m device loss) now cite vizio's own earnings release (businesswire) instead of the ars technica article that was just reporting those same numbers. ars technica ref kept only for walmart-specific reporting (account requirement, cfo quote) where the journalist added original context

2026-04-01T05:00:35Z

fixed citation sourcing: q3 2024 financial figures ($115.8m platform+ gross profit, -$6.7m device loss) now cite vizio's own earnings release (businesswire) instead of the ars technica article that was just reporting those same numbers. ars technica ref kept only for walmart-specific reporting (account requirement, cfo quote) where the journalist added original context

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:00, 1 April 2026
Line 12:		Line 12:
	\|Website=https://www.vizio.com/		\|Website=https://www.vizio.com/
	}}		}}
	'''Vizio''' is a television manufacturer whose advertising & data collection business generates more gross profit than the hardware it sells. In Vizio's final quarter as an independent public company (Q3 2024), its Platform+ segment reported $115.8 million in gross profit while its Device segment lost $6.7 million.<ref name="~~ars~~-~~walmart~~-~~vizio~~">{{Cite web \|url=https://~~arstechnica~~.com/~~gadgets~~/~~2026~~/03/~~newly~~-~~purchased~~-~~vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart~~-~~accounts~~-to-~~use~~-~~smart~~-~~features/~~ \|title=~~Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features \|author=Scharon Harding~~ \|date=~~2026~~-03-24 \|website=~~Ars Technica~~}}</ref> The company has been a subsidiary of [[Walmart]] since December 2024, when Walmart completed its acquisition for $11.50 per share.<ref name="walmart-acquisition">{{Cite web \|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio \|title=Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO \|date=2024-12-03 \|website=Walmart Corporate}}</ref> Vizio has faced an [[Federal Trade Commission\|FTC]] enforcement action for unauthorized data collection, an ongoing GPL lawsuit from the Software Freedom Conservancy, & a reliability downgrade from Consumer Reports.		'''Vizio''' is a television manufacturer whose advertising & data collection business generates more gross profit than the hardware it sells. In Vizio's final quarter as an independent public company (Q3 2024), its Platform+ segment reported $115.8 million in gross profit while its Device segment lost $6.7 million.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241101202974/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2024-Financial-Results \|title=VIZIO HOLDING CORP. Reports Q3 2024 Financial Results \|date=2024-11-01 \|website=BusinessWire}}</ref> The company has been a subsidiary of [[Walmart]] since December 2024, when Walmart completed its acquisition for $11.50 per share.<ref name="walmart-acquisition">{{Cite web \|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio \|title=Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO \|date=2024-12-03 \|website=Walmart Corporate}}</ref> Vizio has faced an [[Federal Trade Commission\|FTC]] enforcement action for unauthorized data collection, an ongoing GPL lawsuit from the Software Freedom Conservancy, & a reliability downgrade from Consumer Reports.

	== Background ==		== Background ==
Line 22:		Line 22:
	Vizio reports its finances in two segments: Device (TVs & soundbars) & Platform+ (advertising, data licensing, & content distribution). The trajectory of these segments documents the transition from a hardware manufacturer to a data & advertising company.		Vizio reports its finances in two segments: Device (TVs & soundbars) & Platform+ (advertising, data licensing, & content distribution). The trajectory of these segments documents the transition from a hardware manufacturer to a data & advertising company.

	In Q3 2021, Platform+ generated $57.3 million in gross profit, more than double the $25.6 million the Device segment earned in the same quarter.<ref name="vizio-q3-2021" /> Three years later, the gap had widened to the point where hardware was losing money outright. By Q4 2023, Platform+ gross profit reached $105.4 million (up 27% year over year); total company gross profit for that quarter was $98.1 million, meaning the Device segment was a net drag on profitability.<ref name="vizio-q4-2023">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240226026773/en/VIZIO-Holding-Corp.-Reports-Q4-2023-Financial-Results \|title=VIZIO Holding Corp. Reports Q4 2023 Financial Results \|date=2024-02-26 \|website=BusinessWire}}</ref> By Q3 2024, Platform+ gross profit reached $115.8 million while Device posted a loss of $6.7 million.<ref name="~~ars~~-~~walmart~~-~~vizio~~" />		In Q3 2021, Platform+ generated $57.3 million in gross profit, more than double the $25.6 million the Device segment earned in the same quarter.<ref name="vizio-q3-2021" /> Three years later, the gap had widened to the point where hardware was losing money outright. By Q4 2023, Platform+ gross profit reached $105.4 million (up 27% year over year); total company gross profit for that quarter was $98.1 million, meaning the Device segment was a net drag on profitability.<ref name="vizio-q4-2023">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240226026773/en/VIZIO-Holding-Corp.-Reports-Q4-2023-Financial-Results \|title=VIZIO Holding Corp. Reports Q4 2023 Financial Results \|date=2024-02-26 \|website=BusinessWire}}</ref> By Q3 2024, Platform+ gross profit reached $115.8 million while Device posted a loss of $6.7 million.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
Line 32:		Line 32:
	\| Q4 2023 \|\| $105.4M \|\| Net drag (total co. profit $98.1M) \|\| Vizio Q4 2023 earnings<ref name="vizio-q4-2023" />		\| Q4 2023 \|\| $105.4M \|\| Net drag (total co. profit $98.1M) \|\| Vizio Q4 2023 earnings<ref name="vizio-q4-2023" />
	\|-		\|-
	\| Q3 2024 \|\| $115.8M \|\| -$6.7M (loss) \|\| ~~Ars Technica /~~ Vizio Q3 2024 earnings~~<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />~~<ref name="vizio-q3-2024">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241101202974/en/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2024-Financial-Results \|title=VIZIO HOLDING CORP. Reports Q3 2024 Financial Results \|date=2024-11-01 \|website=BusinessWire}}</~~ref~~>		\| Q3 2024 \|\| $115.8M \|\| -$6.7M (loss) \|\| Vizio Q3 2024 earnings<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />
	\|}		\|}

Line 39:		Line 39:
	=== Walmart acquisition ===		=== Walmart acquisition ===

	Walmart announced its acquisition of Vizio on February 20, 2024 & completed the deal on December 3, 2024 for $11.50 per share, valuing the company at approximately $2.3 billion in fully diluted equity.<ref name="walmart-acquisition" /> The acquisition expanded Walmart's $6.4 billion advertising business by adding Vizio's SmartCast platform & its 19.1 million active user accounts.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" /><ref name="vizio-q3-2024" /> Walmart's public statements about the deal focused on Vizio's advertising platform rather than its hardware. In Walmart's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings call (February 2026), CFO John David Rainey stated that Vizio had seen "triple-digit growth in advertising" during that quarter.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />		Walmart announced its acquisition of Vizio on February 20, 2024 & completed the deal on December 3, 2024 for $11.50 per share, valuing the company at approximately $2.3 billion in fully diluted equity.<ref name="walmart-acquisition" /> The acquisition expanded Walmart's $6.4 billion advertising business by adding Vizio's SmartCast platform & its 19.1 million active user accounts.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio">{{Cite web \|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/ \|title=Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features \|author=Scharon Harding \|date=2026-03-24 \|website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref name="vizio-q3-2024" /> Walmart's public statements about the deal focused on Vizio's advertising platform rather than its hardware. In Walmart's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings call (February 2026), CFO John David Rainey stated that Vizio had seen "triple-digit growth in advertising" during that quarter.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />

	In March 2026, Walmart announced that newly purchased Vizio TVs require a Walmart account to access smart TV features, linking streaming data with Walmart's retail advertising infrastructure.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />		In March 2026, Walmart announced that newly purchased Vizio TVs require a Walmart account to access smart TV features, linking streaming data with Walmart's retail advertising infrastructure.<ref name="ars-walmart-vizio" />

Louis: full rewrite from stub. added platform+ vs device financials showing ad revenue dwarfs hardware profit, walmart acquisition context, expanded ftc and sfc lawsuit sections, linked walmart account requirement incident page

2026-04-01T04:53:39Z

full rewrite from stub. added platform+ vs device financials showing ad revenue dwarfs hardware profit, walmart acquisition context, expanded ftc and sfc lawsuit sections, linked walmart account requirement incident page

Show changes

Andrew V: /* Incidents */

2026-03-27T00:26:58Z

Incidents

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:26, 27 March 2026
Line 38:		Line 38:
	===Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (''2019''):===		===Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (''2019''):===
	Vizio does not address the concerns raised by the reports, and instead states "It inherently assumes that TVs from 2010 should behave the same as TVs today in terms of performance.", "The applications (apps) on connected TVs are dependent on a multitude of third-party service providers. The number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs."<ref>{{Cite web\|url-status=dead\|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction;\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction\|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports’ Grossly Inaccurate “Reliability” Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction\|archive-date=23 Jul 2021\|date=28 March 2019\|language=en\|format=press release\|publisher=VIZIO}}</ref> Consumer Reports revealed that Vizio has subpar reliability relative to other TV manufacturers, which is also among competing smart TVs.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Mar 2019 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120093010/https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-date=20 Nov 2019 \|publisher=Consumer Reports \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>		Vizio does not address the concerns raised by the reports, and instead states "It inherently assumes that TVs from 2010 should behave the same as TVs today in terms of performance.", "The applications (apps) on connected TVs are dependent on a multitude of third-party service providers. The number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs."<ref>{{Cite web\|url-status=dead\|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction;\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction\|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports’ Grossly Inaccurate “Reliability” Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction\|archive-date=23 Jul 2021\|date=28 March 2019\|language=en\|format=press release\|publisher=VIZIO}}</ref> Consumer Reports revealed that Vizio has subpar reliability relative to other TV manufacturers, which is also among competing smart TVs.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Mar 2019 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120093010/https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-date=20 Nov 2019 \|publisher=Consumer Reports \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>

			=== Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features (''2026 - Present''): ===
			In March 2026 Walmart announced that newly purchased Vizio TVs now require a Walmart account for smart features.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Harding \|first=Scharon \|date=2026-03-24 \|title=Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features \|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260326163508/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/ \|archive-date=2026-03-26 \|access-date=2026-03-26 \|website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

Bananabot: Re-archived 1 citation(s) from archive.today to web.archive.org using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-22T23:26:21Z

Re-archived 1 citation(s) from archive.today to web.archive.org using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:26, 22 February 2026
Line 34:		Line 34:
	===SFC sues Vizio for violating GPL (''2021 - Present''):===		===SFC sues Vizio for violating GPL (''2021 - Present''):===
	{{Main\|Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system}}		{{Main\|Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system}}
	On 19 October 2021, the [https://sfconservancy.org Software Freedom Conservancy] (SFC) sued Vizio over the alleged unfairly appropriated software in their SmartCast system.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web \|title=Vizio Lawsuit Q & A \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020053409/https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-date=20 Oct 2021 \|publisher=Software Freedom Conservancy \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref> The SFC argues that Vizio’s alleged failure to adhere to copyleft-licensing requirements denies rights that are guaranteed to downstream users.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|author=Steven Vaughan-Nichols \|date=19 Oct 2021 \|title=Software Freedom Conservancy sues Vizio for GPL violations \|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019203625/https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-date=19 Oct 2021 \|publisher=ZDNET \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|author=FOSSA Editorial Team \|date=13 May 2022 \|title=The Massive Implications of Software Freedom Conservancy vs. Vizio \|url=https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|archive-url=https://~~archive~~.ph/~~IiQcd~~ \|archive-date=~~6 Jan 2026~~ \|publisher=FOSSA \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref>		On 19 October 2021, the [https://sfconservancy.org Software Freedom Conservancy] (SFC) sued Vizio over the alleged unfairly appropriated software in their SmartCast system.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web \|title=Vizio Lawsuit Q & A \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020053409/https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-date=20 Oct 2021 \|publisher=Software Freedom Conservancy \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref> The SFC argues that Vizio’s alleged failure to adhere to copyleft-licensing requirements denies rights that are guaranteed to downstream users.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|author=Steven Vaughan-Nichols \|date=19 Oct 2021 \|title=Software Freedom Conservancy sues Vizio for GPL violations \|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019203625/https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-date=19 Oct 2021 \|publisher=ZDNET \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|author=FOSSA Editorial Team \|date=13 May 2022 \|title=The Massive Implications of Software Freedom Conservancy vs. Vizio \|url=https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250914204857/https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|archive-date=14 Sep 2025\|publisher=FOSSA \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref>

	===Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (''2019''):===		===Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (''2019''):===

Matt78: Fixed some text

2026-02-05T19:26:37Z

Fixed some text

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:26, 5 February 2026
Line 28:		Line 28:
	This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].		This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

	===FTC fines Vizio ~~forselling~~ user data without consent (''2017''):===		===FTC fines Vizio for selling user data without consent (''2017''):===
	{{Main\|Vizio fined by the FTC for collecting and selling user data without consumer consent}}		{{Main\|Vizio fined by the FTC for collecting and selling user data without consumer consent}}
	Vizio sold consumers’ viewing histories to advertisers and others without consent. The company provided consumers’ IP addresses to data aggregators, who then matched the address with an individual consumer or household. Vizio’s contracts with third parties prohibited the re-identification of consumers and households by name, but allowed a host of other personal details – for example, sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, and home ownership. And Vizio permitted these companies to track and target its consumers across devices.<ref name=":0" />		Vizio sold consumers’ viewing histories to advertisers and others without consent. The company provided consumers’ IP addresses to data aggregators, who then matched the address with an individual consumer or household. Vizio’s contracts with third parties prohibited the re-identification of consumers and households by name, but allowed a host of other personal details – for example, sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, and home ownership. And Vizio permitted these companies to track and target its consumers across devices.<ref name=":0" />

	=== SFC sues Vizio for violating GPL (''2021 - Present''): ===		===SFC sues Vizio for violating GPL (''2021 - Present''):===
	{{Main\|Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system}}		{{Main\|Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system}}
	On 19 October 2021, the [https://sfconservancy.org/ SFC] sued Vizio over the alleged unfairly appropriated software in their SmartCast system.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web \|title=Vizio Lawsuit Q & A \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020053409/https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-date=20 Oct 2021 \|publisher=Software Freedom Conservancy \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref> The SFC argues that Vizio’s alleged failure to adhere to copyleft-licensing requirements denies rights that are guaranteed to downstream users.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|author=Steven Vaughan-Nichols \|date=19 Oct 2021 \|title=Software Freedom Conservancy sues Vizio for GPL violations \|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019203625/https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-date=19 Oct 2021 \|publisher=ZDNET \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|author=FOSSA Editorial Team \|date=13 May 2022 \|title=The Massive Implications of Software Freedom Conservancy vs. Vizio \|url=https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/IiQcd \|archive-date=6 Jan 2026 \|publisher=FOSSA \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref>		On 19 October 2021, the [https://sfconservancy.org Software Freedom Conservancy] (SFC) sued Vizio over the alleged unfairly appropriated software in their SmartCast system.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web \|title=Vizio Lawsuit Q & A \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020053409/https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-date=20 Oct 2021 \|publisher=Software Freedom Conservancy \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref> The SFC argues that Vizio’s alleged failure to adhere to copyleft-licensing requirements denies rights that are guaranteed to downstream users.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|author=Steven Vaughan-Nichols \|date=19 Oct 2021 \|title=Software Freedom Conservancy sues Vizio for GPL violations \|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019203625/https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-date=19 Oct 2021 \|publisher=ZDNET \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|author=FOSSA Editorial Team \|date=13 May 2022 \|title=The Massive Implications of Software Freedom Conservancy vs. Vizio \|url=https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/IiQcd \|archive-date=6 Jan 2026 \|publisher=FOSSA \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref>

	=== Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (''2019''): ===		===Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (''2019''):===
	Vizio does not address the concerns raised by the reports, and instead states "It inherently assumes that TVs from 2010 should behave the same as TVs today in terms of performance.", "The applications (apps) on connected TVs are dependent on a multitude of third-party service providers. The number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs."<ref>{{Cite web\|url-status=dead\|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction;\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction\|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports’ Grossly Inaccurate “Reliability” Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction\|archive-date=23 Jul 2021\|date=28 March 2019\|language=en\|format=press release\|publisher=VIZIO}}</ref> Consumer Reports revealed that Vizio has subpar reliability relative to other TV manufacturers, which is also among competing smart ~~tv's~~.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Mar 2019 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120093010/https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-date=20 Nov 2019 \|publisher=Consumer Reports \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>		Vizio does not address the concerns raised by the reports, and instead states "It inherently assumes that TVs from 2010 should behave the same as TVs today in terms of performance.", "The applications (apps) on connected TVs are dependent on a multitude of third-party service providers. The number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs."<ref>{{Cite web\|url-status=dead\|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction;\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction\|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports’ Grossly Inaccurate “Reliability” Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction\|archive-date=23 Jul 2021\|date=28 March 2019\|language=en\|format=press release\|publisher=VIZIO}}</ref> Consumer Reports revealed that Vizio has subpar reliability relative to other TV manufacturers, which is also among competing smart TVs.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Mar 2019 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120093010/https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-date=20 Nov 2019 \|publisher=Consumer Reports \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

SinexTitan: is incident 3 really relevant?

2026-01-21T21:47:14Z

is incident 3 really relevant?

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:47, 21 January 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	\|Website=https://www.vizio.com/		\|Website=https://www.vizio.com/
	}}		}}
	'''Vizio''' is an American designer of televisions, soundbars, and related software and accessories that has been owned by [[Walmart]] since 2024.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=3 Dec 2024 \|title=Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO \|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204110705/https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio/ \|archive-date=4 Dec 2024 \|publisher=Walmart Corporate \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>		'''{{wplink\|Vizio}}''' is an American designer of televisions, soundbars, and related software and accessories that has been owned by [[Walmart]] since 2024.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=3 Dec 2024 \|title=Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO \|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204110705/https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio/ \|archive-date=4 Dec 2024 \|publisher=Walmart Corporate \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==
Line 28:		Line 28:
	This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].		This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

	*[[Vizio fined by the FTC for collecting and selling user data without consumer consent~~]] (2017):~~ Vizio sold consumers’ viewing histories to advertisers and others without consent. The company provided consumers’ IP addresses to data aggregators, who then matched the address with an individual consumer or household. Vizio’s contracts with third parties prohibited the re-identification of consumers and households by name, but allowed a host of other personal details – for example, sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, and home ownership. And Vizio permitted these companies to track and target its consumers across devices.<ref name=":0" />		===FTC fines Vizio forselling user data without consent (''2017''):===
	*[[Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system]] (2018-now): Ongoing legal case about the alleged refusal to comply with the pro-consumer terms of used licenses.		{{Main\|Vizio fined by the FTC for collecting and selling user data without consumer consent}}
	*Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (2019): Vizio does not address the concerns raised by the reports, and instead states "It inherently assumes that TVs from 2010 should behave the same as TVs today in terms of performance.", "The applications (apps) on connected TVs are dependent on a multitude of third-party service providers. The number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs."<ref>{{Cite web\|url-status=dead\|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction;\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction\|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports’ Grossly Inaccurate “Reliability” Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction\|archive-date=23 Jul 2021\|date=28 March 2019\|language=en\|format=press release\|publisher=VIZIO}}</ref> Consumer Reports revealed that Vizio has subpar reliability relative to other TV manufacturers, which is also among competing smart tv's.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Mar 2019 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120093010/https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-date=20 Nov 2019 \|publisher=Consumer Reports \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>		Vizio sold consumers’ viewing histories to advertisers and others without consent. The company provided consumers’ IP addresses to data aggregators, who then matched the address with an individual consumer or household. Vizio’s contracts with third parties prohibited the re-identification of consumers and households by name, but allowed a host of other personal details – for example, sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, and home ownership. And Vizio permitted these companies to track and target its consumers across devices.<ref name=":0" />

	==~~Acquisition~~==		=== SFC sues Vizio for violating GPL (''2021 - Present''): ===
	Vizio ~~was acquired by~~ [~~[Walmart~~]~~] for $2~~.~~3bn in December 2024~~.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=~~Walmart’s Acquisition of VISIO~~: \|url=https://www.~~tradingcalendar~~.com/~~post~~/~~walmart~~-s-~~acquisition~~-of-vizio-~~transforming~~-~~home~~-~~entertainment~~-~~and~~-~~retail~~-~~advertising~~-~~wmt~~-~~vzio~~ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/~~8MtkA~~ \|archive-date=6 Jan 2026 \|~~access~~-date=~~30 August 2025~~ \|~~website~~=~~Trading Calender~~}}</ref>		{{Main\|Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system}}
			On 19 October 2021, the [https://sfconservancy.org/ SFC] sued Vizio over the alleged unfairly appropriated software in their SmartCast system.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web \|title=Vizio Lawsuit Q & A \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020053409/https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-date=20 Oct 2021 \|publisher=Software Freedom Conservancy \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref> The SFC argues that Vizio’s alleged failure to adhere to copyleft-licensing requirements denies rights that are guaranteed to downstream users.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|author=Steven Vaughan-Nichols \|date=19 Oct 2021 \|title=Software Freedom Conservancy sues Vizio for GPL violations \|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019203625/https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-date=19 Oct 2021 \|publisher=ZDNET \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|author=FOSSA Editorial Team \|date=13 May 2022 \|title=The Massive Implications of Software Freedom Conservancy vs. Vizio \|url=https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/IiQcd \|archive-date=6 Jan 2026 \|publisher=FOSSA \|language=en \|format=article}}</ref>

			=== Vizio strongly disagrees with Consumer Reports not recommending them anymore (''2019''): ===
			Vizio does not address the concerns raised by the reports, and instead states "It inherently assumes that TVs from 2010 should behave the same as TVs today in terms of performance.", "The applications (apps) on connected TVs are dependent on a multitude of third-party service providers. The number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs."<ref>{{Cite web\|url-status=dead\|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction;\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction\|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports’ Grossly Inaccurate “Reliability” Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction\|archive-date=23 Jul 2021\|date=28 March 2019\|language=en\|format=press release\|publisher=VIZIO}}</ref> Consumer Reports revealed that Vizio has subpar reliability relative to other TV manufacturers, which is also among competing smart tv's.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Mar 2019 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120093010/https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-date=20 Nov 2019 \|publisher=Consumer Reports \|language=en \|format=press release}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

Keith at 16:38, 21 January 2026

2026-01-21T16:38:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:38, 21 January 2026
Line 42:		Line 42:
	<references />		<references />
	[[Category:Vizio]]		[[Category:Vizio]]
			[[Category:Smart TVs]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:29, 15 April 2026
Line 47:		Line 47:
	Vizio's business model treats the television as a delivery mechanism for advertising & data collection. The consumer's purchase price subsidizes the hardware; Vizio's profit comes from the viewing data & ad impressions generated after the TV is in someone's home.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />		Vizio's business model treats the television as a delivery mechanism for advertising & data collection. The consumer's purchase price subsidizes the hardware; Vizio's profit comes from the viewing data & ad impressions generated after the TV is in someone's home.<ref name="vizio-q3-2024" />

	The FTC found in 2017 that Vizio collected second-by-second viewing data from 11 million smart TVs without consumer knowledge or consent, then sold that data to third parties who appended it with demographic information including sex, age, income, marital status, household size, & education level.<ref name="ftc-2017">{{Cite web \|date=2017-02-06 \|title=VIZIO to Pay $2.2 Million to FTC, State of New Jersey to Settle Charges It Collected Viewing Histories on 11 Million Smart Televisions without Users' Consent \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/02/vizio-pay-22-million-ftc-state-new-jersey-settle-charges-it-collected-viewing-histories-11-million \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260317153711/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/02/vizio-pay-22-million-ftc-state-new-jersey-settle-charges-it-collected-viewing-histories-11-million \|archive-date=2026-03-17 \|website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}}</ref> While Vizio's contracts with third parties prohibited re-identification of consumers by name, those contracts permitted profiling by sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, & home ownership status.<ref name="ftc-blog-2017">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313091120/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|archive-date=2022-03-13 ~~\|title=What Vizio was doing behind the TV screen \|author=Lesley Fair \|date=2017-02-06~~ \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref> A legal analysis by Davis Wright Tremaine noted that the FTC's enforcement action against Vizio set a precedent for how regulators treat automated viewing data collection across the smart TV industry.<ref name="dwt-2017">{{Cite web \|author1=McMeley \|first=Christin S. \|author2=Glist \|first2=Paul \|author3=Seiver \|first3=John D. \|author4=Reynolds \|first4=Alexander B. \|date=Oct 2017 \|title=The Real Takeaway From VIZIO's Privacy FTC Settlement \|url=https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202003735/https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|archive-date=2020-12-02 \|website=Davis Wright Tremaine LLP}}</ref>		The FTC found in 2017 that Vizio collected second-by-second viewing data from 11 million smart TVs without consumer knowledge or consent, then sold that data to third parties who appended it with demographic information including sex, age, income, marital status, household size, & education level.<ref name="ftc-2017">{{Cite web \|date=2017-02-06 \|title=VIZIO to Pay $2.2 Million to FTC, State of New Jersey to Settle Charges It Collected Viewing Histories on 11 Million Smart Televisions without Users' Consent \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/02/vizio-pay-22-million-ftc-state-new-jersey-settle-charges-it-collected-viewing-histories-11-million \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260317153711/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/02/vizio-pay-22-million-ftc-state-new-jersey-settle-charges-it-collected-viewing-histories-11-million \|archive-date=2026-03-17 \|website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}}</ref> While Vizio's contracts with third parties prohibited re-identification of consumers by name, those contracts permitted profiling by sex, age, income, marital status, household size, education, & home ownership status.<ref name="ftc-blog-2017">{{Cite web \|author=Lesley Fair \|date=2017-02-06 \|title=What Vizio was doing behind the TV screen \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313091120/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen \|archive-date=2022-03-13 \|website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}}</ref> A legal analysis by Davis Wright Tremaine noted that the FTC's enforcement action against Vizio set a precedent for how regulators treat automated viewing data collection across the smart TV industry.<ref name="dwt-2017">{{Cite web \|author1=McMeley \|first=Christin S. \|author2=Glist \|first2=Paul \|author3=Seiver \|first3=John D. \|author4=Reynolds \|first4=Alexander B. \|date=Oct 2017 \|title=The Real Takeaway From VIZIO's Privacy FTC Settlement \|url=https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202003735/https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme \|archive-date=2020-12-02 \|website=[[Davis Wright Tremaine LLP]]}}</ref>

	Vizio's current privacy policy describes the use of Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology to collect "Viewing Data" about what is displayed on the television.<ref name="vizio-privacy">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/terms/privacy-policy \|~~title~~=~~VIZIO Privacy Policy~~ \|~~website~~=~~Vizio~~ \|access-date=2026-03-31}}</ref> Since the Walmart acquisition, Vizio TVs present a consent toggle to combine Vizio OS data with a user's Walmart account data for advertising purposes. Even with this toggle disabled, Vizio's privacy policy states that limited data disclosure to Walmart continues for purposes including aggregate audience measurement & pseudonymized target audience groups.<ref name="vizio-privacy" />		Vizio's current privacy policy describes the use of Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology to collect "Viewing Data" about what is displayed on the television.<ref name="vizio-privacy">{{Cite web \|title=VIZIO Privacy Policy \|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/terms/privacy-policy \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260324090346/https://www.vizio.com/en/terms/privacy-policy \|archive-date=2026-03-24 \|access-date=2026-03-31 \|website=Vizio}}</ref> Since the Walmart acquisition, Vizio TVs present a consent toggle to combine Vizio OS data with a user's Walmart account data for advertising purposes. Even with this toggle disabled, Vizio's privacy policy states that limited data disclosure to Walmart continues for purposes including aggregate audience measurement & pseudonymized target audience groups.<ref name="vizio-privacy" />

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==
Line 67:		Line 67:
	{{Main\|Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system}}		{{Main\|Vizio sued over unfairly appropriated software for their SmartCast system}}

	On October 19, 2021, the [https://sfconservancy.org Software Freedom Conservancy] (SFC) filed suit against Vizio in Orange County Superior Court, California (Case No. 30-2021-01226723-CU-BC-CJC), alleging that Vizio's SmartCast operating system uses GPL-licensed software without providing the required source code to consumers.<ref name="zdnet-sfc">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|~~title~~=~~Software Freedom Conservancy~~ sues ~~Vizio~~ for ~~GPL~~ violations \|~~author=Steven Vaughan~~-~~Nichols \|~~date=~~2021~~-10-19 \|website=ZDNet}}</ref> The SFC argues that Vizio's failure to release GPL-compliant source code denies rights guaranteed to downstream users who purchased devices containing that software.<ref name="sfc-qa">{{Cite web \|title=Vizio Lawsuit Q & A \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020053409/https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-date=2021-10-20 \|website=Software Freedom Conservancy}}</ref> The case tests whether consumers can enforce GPL source code requirements as third-party beneficiaries of the license.<ref name="sfc-vizio">{{Cite web \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html \|~~title~~=~~Software Freedom Conservancy v~~. ~~Vizio Inc~~. \|~~website~~=~~Software Freedom Conservancy~~ \|access-date=2026-03-31}}</ref> In May 2022, a federal court remanded the case to state court, recognizing the GPL as both a copyright license & a contractual agreement. In December 2023, the court denied Vizio's motion for summary judgment.<ref name="fossa-sfc">{{Cite web \|author=~~FOSSA Editorial Team~~ \|date=2022-05-13 \|title=The Massive Implications of Software Freedom Conservancy vs. Vizio \|url=https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|website=FOSSA}}</ref> A December 2025 ruling addressed a narrow procedural issue about device functionality after modification; the SFC stated the ruling was irrelevant to their actual claims.<ref name="sfc-dec2025">{{Cite web \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/news/2025/dec/24/vizio-msa-irrelevant-ruling/ \|~~title~~=~~Judge in Vizio Case Rules on Issue Irrelevant to Rights Under Copyleft~~ \|date=~~2025~~-12-24 \|website=Software Freedom Conservancy}}</ref> Trial is set for August 10-19, 2026.<ref name="sfc-vizio" />		On October 19, 2021, the [https://sfconservancy.org Software Freedom Conservancy] (SFC) filed suit against Vizio in Orange County Superior Court, California (Case No. 30-2021-01226723-CU-BC-CJC), alleging that Vizio's SmartCast operating system uses GPL-licensed software without providing the required source code to consumers.<ref name="zdnet-sfc">{{Cite web \|author=Steven Vaughan-Nichols \|date=2021-10-19 \|title=Software Freedom Conservancy sues Vizio for GPL violations \|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251219144551/https://www.zdnet.com/article/software-freedom-conservancy-sues-vizio-for-gpl-violations/ \|archive-date=2025-12-19 \|website=[[ZDNet]]}}</ref> The SFC argues that Vizio's failure to release GPL-compliant source code denies rights guaranteed to downstream users who purchased devices containing that software.<ref name="sfc-qa">{{Cite web \|title=Vizio Lawsuit Q & A \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020053409/https://sfconservancy.org/press/qanda.html \|archive-date=2021-10-20 \|website=[[Software Freedom Conservancy]]}}</ref> The case tests whether consumers can enforce GPL source code requirements as third-party beneficiaries of the license.<ref name="sfc-vizio">{{Cite web \|title=Software Freedom Conservancy v. Vizio Inc. \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260318162257/https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html \|archive-date=2026-03-18 \|access-date=2026-03-31 \|website=Software Freedom Conservancy}}</ref> In May 2022, a federal court remanded the case to state court, recognizing the GPL as both a copyright license & a contractual agreement. In December 2023, the court denied Vizio's motion for summary judgment.<ref name="fossa-sfc">{{Cite web \|author=Drukarev \|first=Andy \|date=2022-05-13 \|title=The Massive Implications of Software Freedom Conservancy vs. Vizio \|url=https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260124113524/https://fossa.com/blog/massive-implications-software-freedom-conservancy-vs-vizio/ \|archive-date=2026-01-24 \|website=[[FOSSA]]}}</ref> A December 2025 ruling addressed a narrow procedural issue about device functionality after modification; the SFC stated the ruling was irrelevant to their actual claims.<ref name="sfc-dec2025">{{Cite web \|date=2025-12-24 \|title=Judge in Vizio Case Rules on Issue Irrelevant to Rights Under Copyleft \|url=https://sfconservancy.org/news/2025/dec/24/vizio-msa-irrelevant-ruling/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260202041224/https://sfconservancy.org/news/2025/dec/24/vizio-msa-irrelevant-ruling/ \|archive-date=2026-02-02 \|website=[[Software Freedom Conservancy]]}}</ref> Trial is set for August 10-19, 2026.<ref name="sfc-vizio" />

	The SFC has stated that one purpose of obtaining the source code is to develop an open-source alternative operating system for Vizio TVs that does not track viewing habits.<ref name="sfc-vizio" />		The SFC has stated that one purpose of obtaining the source code is to develop an open-source alternative operating system for Vizio TVs that does not track viewing habits.<ref name="sfc-vizio" />
Line 73:		Line 73:
	===Consumer Reports removes recommendation===		===Consumer Reports removes recommendation===

	In March 2019, Consumer Reports removed its "recommended" designation from both Vizio & Hisense televisions, citing reliability concerns & inconsistent internet connectivity based on surveys of its members.<ref name="cr-2019">{{Cite web \|date=2019-03-26 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|website=Consumer Reports}}</ref>		In March 2019, Consumer Reports removed its "recommended" designation from both Vizio & Hisense televisions, citing reliability concerns & inconsistent internet connectivity based on surveys of its members.<ref name="cr-2019">{{Cite web \|date=2019-03-26 \|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability \|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708212354/https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/ \|archive-date=2025-07-08 \|website=[[Consumer Reports]]}}</ref>

	Vizio issued a press release calling the survey "grossly inaccurate" & "deeply flawed."<ref name="vizio-cr-response">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction \|url-status=~~dead~~ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction \|archive-date=2021-07-23 ~~\|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports' Grossly Inaccurate "Reliability" Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction \|date=2019-03-28~~ \|website=Vizio}}</ref> The response argued that connected TV performance depends on third-party service providers & home network conditions rather than the television itself. Vizio stated that applications on connected TVs depend on "a multitude of third-party service providers" & that "the number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs," but did not present counter-data on hardware reliability rates.<ref name="vizio-cr-response" />		Vizio issued a press release calling the survey "grossly inaccurate" & "deeply flawed."<ref name="vizio-cr-response">{{Cite web \|date=2019-03-28 \|title=VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports' Grossly Inaccurate "Reliability" Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction \|url=https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723182552/https://www.vizio.com/en/press/2019/mar/VIZIO-responds-to-consumer-reports-grossly-inaccurate-reliability-survey-vizio-hdtvs-maintain-high-consumer-ratings-and-overall-satisfaction \|archive-date=2021-07-23 \|website=Vizio}}</ref> The response argued that connected TV performance depends on third-party service providers & home network conditions rather than the television itself. Vizio stated that applications on connected TVs depend on "a multitude of third-party service providers" & that "the number of variables involved in the performance of connected TVs is greater than for non-connected TVs," but did not present counter-data on hardware reliability rates.<ref name="vizio-cr-response" />

	===Walmart account requirement for smart TV features===		===Walmart account requirement for smart TV features===