Sony smart TV owners have voluntarily dropped their proposed class action against Samba TV, an analytics company accused of collecting and selling television-viewing information to third-party advertisers in violation of state and federal privacy laws. DellaSalla v. Samba TV, Inc., No. 3:25-cv-03470 (N.D. Cal. 7/23/26).The dismissal came after the federal court had already allowed several claims to proceed, including intrusion upon seclusion, unjust enrichment, and claims under the Federal Wiretap Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).
The plaintiffs alleged that Samba TV technology embedded in Sony televisions intercepted unique identifiers associated with their TVs and private video-viewing data without consent. Earlier in the case, District Court Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley found that allegations that Samba TV collected and sold detailed video-viewing information tied to political leanings and other private characteristics were enough to establish federal standing.
Even though this case has been dropped, the court’s earlier ruling remains important regarding the privacy risks connected device data, viewing data, device identifiers, ad-tech integrations, and inferred sensitive attributes can present when companies do not have clear consent flows, accurate disclosures, and tight controls over third-party data sharing. Companies using smart-device analytics, pixels, SDKs, automatic content recognition, or cross-device advertising tools should review what data is collected, whether it is linked to households or individuals, how consent is obtained, and whether vendor contracts and public disclosures match the technical reality.