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{{InfoboxCompany
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Name = Visio
| Type =
| Type =Subsidiary
| Founded =
| Founded =2002
| Industry =
| Industry =Electronics
| Official Website =
| Official Website =https://www.vizio.com/
| Logo =
| Logo =QuestionMark.svg
}}{{Placeholder box|An introductory paragraph starting with "'''{{Vizio}}''' is a TV company...<ref name":0">ref goes here</ref>"}}
}}'''Vizio''' is an American designer of televisions, soundbars, and related software and accessories owned by [[Walmart]] since 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio/|publisher=Walmart Corporate|format=press release|title=Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO|date=3 Dec 2024|language=en}}</ref>


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==Consumer impact summary==
==Consumer impact summary==
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
* User Freedom
* User Privacy
* Business Model


The Vizio Watch Free service is spying on the antenna channels you watch and will lock you out of watching antenna if they can't connect to the server.
====Privacy Violations====
* Market Control}}


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*Consumers unaware their viewing habits were being tracked<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dwt.com/blogs/media-law-monitor/2017/10/the-real-takeaway-from-vizios-privacy-ftc-settleme|publisher=Davis Wright Tremaine LLP|title=The Real Takeaway From VIZIO's Privacy FTC Settlement|author1=Christin S. McMeley|author2=Paul Glist|author3=John D. Seiver|author4=Alexander B. Reynolds|date=Oct 2017|format=article|language=en}}</ref>
==Incidents==
*Personal information linked to viewing data without consent<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen|publisher=Federal Trade Commission (FTC)|title=What Vizio was doing behind the TV screen|author=Lesley Fair|date=6 Feb 2017|language=en|format=press release}}</ref>
{{Placeholder box|If the company page is short enough and/or the incident is not deserving of it own page, add incidents below in sub-sections (including the points outlined in [[Consumer_Action_Taskforce:Sample/Incident/Help]]) and delete the list after this box.
*Data shared with multiple third parties<ref name=":0" />


If the company has various incidents listed and/or this page is getting too long, do not add sub-sections, and instead complete the list after this box.
====Financial Impact====


Vizio – Previously fined by the FTC for collecting and selling user data without consumer consent.[1]}}
*Consumers unknowingly subsidized lower TV prices through data sales<ref name=":0" />
*No direct compensation to affected consumers despite $2.2 million settlement<ref name=":0" />
*Data collection potentially continued for years before discovery<ref name=":0" />


==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:{{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]].
*[[Example incident one]] (date): Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
*[[Example incident two]] (date):
==Products==
{{Placeholder box|This is a list of the company's product lines with articles on this wiki.
* [[Example product line one]] (release date): Short summary of the product's incidents.
* [[Example product line two]] (release date):}}


*[[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" />
*[[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.
*[[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|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2019/03/consumer-reports-no-longer-recommends-vizio-and-hisense-tvs-due-/|format=press release|title=Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability|publisher=Consumer Reports|date=26 Mar 2019|language=en}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Placeholder box|Link to relevant theme articles or companies with similar incidents.}}


*[[LG Television sale of personal data]]


==References==
==References==
[https://investors.vizio.com/news/news-details/2021/VIZIO-HOLDING-CORP.-Reports-Q3-2021-Financial-Results/default.aspx "Vizio Q3 2021 Financial Results"] ''Vizio.'' Retrieved 30 January 2025.
<references />
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Vizio]]

Latest revision as of 17:58, 7 March 2025

Vizio
Basic information
Founded 2002
Type Subsidiary
Industry Electronics
Official website https://www.vizio.com/

Vizio is an American designer of televisions, soundbars, and related software and accessories owned by Walmart since 2024.[1]

Consumer impact summary[edit | edit source]

Privacy Violations[edit | edit source]

  • Consumers unaware their viewing habits were being tracked[2]
  • Personal information linked to viewing data without consent[3]
  • Data shared with multiple third parties[3]

Financial Impact[edit | edit source]

  • Consumers unknowingly subsidized lower TV prices through data sales[3]
  • No direct compensation to affected consumers despite $2.2 million settlement[3]
  • Data collection potentially continued for years before discovery[3]

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 Vizio 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.[3]
  • 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.
  • 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."[4] Consumer Reports revealed that Vizio has subpar reliability relative to other TV manufacturers, which is also among competing smart tv's.[5]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO" (press release). Walmart Corporate. 3 Dec 2024.
  2. Christin S. McMeley; Paul Glist; John D. Seiver; Alexander B. Reynolds (Oct 2017). "The Real Takeaway From VIZIO's Privacy FTC Settlement" (article). Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Lesley Fair (6 Feb 2017). "What Vizio was doing behind the TV screen" (press release). Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
  4. "VIZIO Responds to Consumer Reports' Grossly Inaccurate "Reliability" Survey; VIZIO HDTVs Maintain High Consumer Ratings and Overall Satisfaction". VIZIO. 28 March 2019. Archived from the original (press release) on 23 Jul 2021.
  5. "Consumer Reports No Longer Recommends Vizio and Hisense TVs Due to Problems with Reliability" (press release). Consumer Reports. 26 Mar 2019.