TCL: Difference between revisions
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{{CompanyCargo | {{CompanyCargo | ||
| Founded = 1981 | | Founded = 1981 | ||
| Industry = Electronics,Phones,TVs,Home appliances,Finance | | Industry = Electronics, Phones, TVs, Home appliances, Finance | ||
| Logo = Logo of the TCL Corporation.svg | | Logo = Logo of the TCL Corporation.svg | ||
| Type = Public | | Type = Public | ||
| Website = https://www.tcl.com/ | | Website = https://www.tcl.com/ | ||
| CompanyAlias = TCL,TCL Technology Group Corp,TCL Corporation,TCL Technology | | CompanyAlias = TCL, TCL Technology Group Corp, TCL Corporation, TCL Technology | ||
}} | }} | ||
''' | |||
'''{{wplink|TCL Technology|TCL Technology Group Corp}}''' is a Chinese partially [[wikipedia:State-owned_enterprise|state-owned]] electronics company headquartered in Huizhou, Guangdong province. TCL develops, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics like television sets, mobile phones, air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and small electrical appliances. | |||
==Consumer-impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
*'''User freedom''': TCL [[List of phones that do not allow bootloader unlock|phones have | *'''User freedom''': TCL [[List of phones that do not allow bootloader unlock|phones have locked bootloaders]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lost-Entrepreneur439 |date=2024-11-18 |title=Bootloader Unlock Wall of Shame: TCL / BlackBerry |url=https://github.com/zenfyrdev/bootloader-unlock-wall-of-shame/blob/aa5ba6136153440d6f45509dfa67d79682800b2c/brands/tcl/README.md |url-status=live |website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref> | ||
*'''User privacy''': According to their privacy policy, they will share some telemetry with 3rd-parties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TCL Privacy Notice for Business Customers and Partners |url=https://www.tcl.com/global/en/commercial-display/privacy-notice#disclosure-of-your-information-to-third-parties |url-status=live}}</ref> | *'''User privacy''': According to their privacy policy, they will share some telemetry with 3rd-parties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TCL Privacy Notice for Business Customers and Partners |url=https://www.tcl.com/global/en/commercial-display/privacy-notice#disclosure-of-your-information-to-third-parties |url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
*'''User experience''': Some of their electronic products, especially [[Android]] phones, have many [[wikipedia:Software_bug|bugs]].<ref name=":0" /> Some bugs are very disruptive, such as screens "randomly" turning off when brightness is low.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/Rudxain |date=2026-03-22 |title=TCL 505 here, still Android 14. You're right about bugs, the screen "randomly" turns off when the brightness is "low" (even 50% is considered low). It's coded to turn off the backlight when the hardware (not Android) brightness goes below 0, and it's also coded to decrease the brightness if the image is "dark". A black image with small white spots is considered "darker" than a pitch black image, so I can't watch some 3blue1brown videos in peace 🥲 | *'''User experience''': Some of their electronic products, especially [[Android]] phones, have many [[wikipedia:Software_bug|bugs]].<ref name=":0" /> Some bugs are very disruptive, such as screens "randomly" turning off when brightness is low.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/Rudxain |date=2026-03-22 |title=TCL 505 here, still Android 14. You're right about bugs, the screen "randomly" turns off when the brightness is "low" (even 50% is considered low). It's coded to turn off the backlight when the hardware (not Android) brightness goes below 0, and it's also coded to decrease the brightness if the image is "dark". A black image with small white spots is considered "darker" than a pitch black image, so I can't watch some 3blue1brown videos in peace 🥲 | ||
| Line 20: | Line 22: | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
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:TCL|TCL 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:TCL|TCL category]]. | ||
===Sued by Texas state over ACR data collection (''2025—Present):''=== | |||
{{Main|Texas Attorney General sues multiple TV makers over ACR user data collection}} | |||
On 15 December 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TCL,<ref name="petition-tcl">{{Cite web |date=December 15, 2025 |title=State of Texas v. TCL Technology Group Corporation, Original Petition |url=https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/TCL%20TV%20Petition%20Filed.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251228061950/https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/TCL%20TV%20Petition%20Filed.pdf |archive-date=28 Dec 2025 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |publisher=Office of the Texas Attorney General |format=PDF}}</ref> alleging that the manufacturer failed to adequately disclose the data collection capabilities of {{Wplink|automatic content recognition}} (ACR) technology in their smart televisions,<ref name="arstechnica">{{Cite web |date=December 16, 2025 |title=Texas sues biggest TV makers, alleging smart TVs spy on users without consent |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/12/texas-sues-biggest-tv-makers-alleging-smart-tvs-spy-on-users-without-consent/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251228170241/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/12/texas-sues-biggest-tv-makers-alleging-smart-tvs-spy-on-users-without-consent/ |archive-date=28 Dec 2025 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |publisher=Ars Technica}}</ref> The lawsuit, filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, allege that ACR technology captures screenshots of television displays at frequent intervals and that the resulting viewing data is sold to advertisers and data brokers without meaningful consumer consent.<ref name="txag-main">{{Cite web |date=December 15, 2025 |title=Attorney General Paxton Sues Five Major TV Companies, Including Some with Ties to CCP, for Spying on Texans |url=https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-paxton-sues-five-major-tv-companies-including-some-ties-ccp-spying-texans |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260123003535/https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-paxton-sues-five-major-tv-companies-including-some-ties-ccp-spying-texans |archive-date=23 Jan 2026 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |publisher=Office of the Texas Attorney General}}</ref> | |||
===Misleading marketing of QLED TVs (2026)=== | ===Misleading marketing of QLED TVs (2026)=== | ||
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TCL refuses to make most of its firmware publicly available. This breaks a [[Google]] contract, and may violate [[wikipedia:GNU_General_Public_License|GPL]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-10 |title=TCL has been actively ignoring my firmware requests |url=https://reddit.com/r/Android/comments/vvnuq6/tcl_has_been_actively_ignoring_my_firmware |url-status=live |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> | TCL refuses to make most of its firmware publicly available. This breaks a [[Google]] contract, and may violate [[wikipedia:GNU_General_Public_License|GPL]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-10 |title=TCL has been actively ignoring my firmware requests |url=https://reddit.com/r/Android/comments/vvnuq6/tcl_has_been_actively_ignoring_my_firmware |url-status=live |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> | ||
== See also == | ===Leaking app names=== | ||
Some TCL phones store "full-screen" preferences for each app in the system-wide settings database. This allows ''any'' app (even without <code>[https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission#QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES]</code>) installed on the phone to get a partial (but almost complete) list of installed apps, including ''uninstalled ones'', as the system doesn't clear old preferences.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernández Serrata |first=Ricardo |date=2026-06-03 |title=Android support? |url=https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/324#issuecomment-4609170073 |access-date=2026-06-08 |website=GitHub}}</ref> This is a case of data protection negligence. | |||
==See also== | |||
*[[LG Television sale of personal data]] | *[[LG Television sale of personal data]] | ||
*[[Samsung]] | *[[Samsung]] | ||
Latest revision as of 13:46, 8 June 2026
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TCL
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Legal Structure | Public |
| Industry | Electronics, Phones, TVs, Home appliances, Finance |
| Also known as | TCL, TCL Technology Group Corp, TCL Corporation, TCL Technology |
| Official website | https://www.tcl.com/ |
TCL Technology Group Corp is a Chinese partially state-owned electronics company headquartered in Huizhou, Guangdong province. TCL develops, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics like television sets, mobile phones, air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and small electrical appliances.
Consumer-impact summary
[edit | edit source]- User freedom: TCL phones have locked bootloaders.[1]
- User privacy: According to their privacy policy, they will share some telemetry with 3rd-parties.[2]
- User experience: Some of their electronic products, especially Android phones, have many bugs.[3] Some bugs are very disruptive, such as screens "randomly" turning off when brightness is low.[4]
- Market control: In 2010, it was the world's 25th-largest consumer electronics producer.[5] It was the second-largest television manufacturer by market share in 2022 and 2023.[6]
Incidents
[edit | edit source]This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the TCL category.
Sued by Texas state over ACR data collection (2025—Present):
[edit | edit source]On 15 December 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TCL,[7] alleging that the manufacturer failed to adequately disclose the data collection capabilities of automatic content recognition (ACR) technology in their smart televisions,[8] The lawsuit, filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, allege that ACR technology captures screenshots of television displays at frequent intervals and that the resulting viewing data is sold to advertisers and data brokers without meaningful consumer consent.[9]
Misleading marketing of QLED TVs (2026)
[edit | edit source]The second-largest TV maker has to stop calling its QLED TV sets that, as Samsung cries foul. The misleading advertising claims that TCL TVs use quantum dot technology, but the courts disagree.[10]
Broken promises of software updates
[edit | edit source]For several years, TCL has failed to fulfill their promise of upgrading many Android phones. So much so that they're blatantly lying about the ETA.[3]
Non-compliance with software licenses
[edit | edit source]TCL refuses to make most of its firmware publicly available. This breaks a Google contract, and may violate GPL.[11]
Leaking app names
[edit | edit source]Some TCL phones store "full-screen" preferences for each app in the system-wide settings database. This allows any app (even without QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES) installed on the phone to get a partial (but almost complete) list of installed apps, including uninstalled ones, as the system doesn't clear old preferences.[12] This is a case of data protection negligence.
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Lost-Entrepreneur439 (2024-11-18). "Bootloader Unlock Wall of Shame: TCL / BlackBerry". GitHub.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "TCL Privacy Notice for Business Customers and Partners".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 u/SoheilBalini (2025-09-09). "TCL update policy". Reddit.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ u/Rudxain (2026-03-22). "TCL 505 here, still Android 14. You're right about bugs, the screen "randomly" turns off when the brightness is "low" (even 50% is considered low). It's coded to turn off the backlight when the hardware (not Android) brightness goes below 0, and it's also coded to decrease the brightness if the image is "dark". A black image with small white spots is considered "darker" than a pitch black image, so I can't watch some 3blue1brown videos in peace 🥲 TCL is a scam, worse than zamzung, I'd dare to say. I'm gonna boycott them till I die or they get sued".
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 451 (help) - ↑ Richards, David (2019-11-24). "TCL Set To Be A Major Global CE & Smartphone Brand, Roadmap Revealed". Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ↑ Pr, Ani (2024-03-13). "TCL Ranked as Global Top 2 TV Brand and No. 1 in 98 TV Category for Two Consecutive Years". ThePrint. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ↑ "State of Texas v. TCL Technology Group Corporation, Original Petition" (PDF). Office of the Texas Attorney General. December 15, 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 Dec 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas sues biggest TV makers, alleging smart TVs spy on users without consent". Ars Technica. December 16, 2025. Archived from the original on 28 Dec 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Attorney General Paxton Sues Five Major TV Companies, Including Some with Ties to CCP, for Spying on Texans". Office of the Texas Attorney General. December 15, 2025. Archived from the original on 23 Jan 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ Zlatev, Daniel (2026-03-05). "TCL can't advertise TVs as QLED since they lack in quantum dots and color accuracy". Notebookcheck.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "TCL has been actively ignoring my firmware requests". Reddit. 2022-07-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Fernández Serrata, Ricardo (2026-06-03). "Android support?". GitHub. Retrieved 2026-06-08.