Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., concerned companies are tracking consumer's television viewing habits, are calling for an investigation into the smart television industry, The New York Times is reporting.
The two sent a letter to Joseph Simons, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, saying they were concerned about "consumer privacy issues raised by the proliferation of smart TV technology."
The senators cited a New York Times report detailing the practices of Samba TV, a software company. The company has been criticized by privacy advocates for not being transparent when it seeks consumers' permission to track their viewing on smart TVs to sell ads, the newspaper said.
"Regrettably, smart TV users may not be aware of the extent to which their televisions are collecting sensitive information about their viewing habits," the senators wrote.
The claimed that Samba TV "does not provide sufficient information about its privacy practices to ensure users can make truly informed decisions."
Bill Daddi, a spokesman for Samba TV, said: "There is more to be done here, and we will work with any member of Congress on this issue, as we have throughout the past few years."
A spokeswoman for the Federal Trade Commission declined to comment further.
Meanwhile, a federal probe into Facebook's sharing of user data with Cambridge Analytica involves the FBI, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department.
The probe reportedly is focusing on what Facebook knew in 2015, when it learned Cambridge Analytica had improperly accessed the personal data of tens of millions of Facebook users.
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