Buyers of new Vizio smart TVs are now being required to sign in - or create - a Walmart account during setup to access the televisions' full suite of smart features, a significant shift that's raising fresh questions about consumer privacy and data collection.
Vizio sent an email to customers explaining that anyone purchasing a new Vizio OS smart TV will be prompted during the setup process to merge their existing Vizio account into a Walmart account. The alternative is to delete the Vizio account entirely.
The shift follows Walmart's completion of its Vizio acquisition in December 2024. By February 1, 2026, Vizio was officially operating as a Walmart private-label brand. The original acquisition deal was valued at $2.3 billion.
For those who choose to delete their Vizio account, there is a 30-day window to request a copy of their stored data before it may be permanently unavailable. The account merging feature is currently limited to buyers of new Vizio TVs, but will eventually extend to existing owners.
Customers who choose to merge will have their information processed under both the Vizio Privacy Policy and Walmart's Customer Privacy Notice.
The business rationale is straightforward: by centralizing streaming data within Vizio's operating system, Walmart is working to build a "secure identity framework across devices, connecting streaming engagement directly with retail interaction" — creating a major advertising and data opportunity for brands. Ever since Walmart began courting Vizio, the ad industry has waited for the company to combine its shopper data with Vizio's streaming and device data to run closed-loop attribution on connected TV campaigns.
New Vizio TVs require a Walmart account for activation, while existing Vizio users are prompted to add their Walmart account. The same rules now apply for Onn TVs, a Walmart-owned line of sets that are now powered by Vizio's SmartCast OS. With the change, Vizio's OS now has the potential to reach 25% to 30% of all U.S. households, according to Vizio's chief revenue officer.
Privacy advocates have flagged the arrangement as an example of a growing trend in which smart TV makers monetize viewer data by linking what people watch to how — and what — they buy at retail. Vizio has gradually shifted from being a competitively priced TV maker into a business centered on advertising, and Walmart appears ready to push the brand further in that direction.
For now, existing Vizio TV owners don't need to take any immediate action. The merge-or-delete prompt is not yet live on older hardware, and no timeline has been set for when current owners will encounter the change.
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The shift follows Walmart's completion of its Vizio acquisition in December 2024.
