Report alleges LG smart TVs collect data while offline or on standby
A Gamers Nexus investigation alleges some retail LG OLED televisions scan nearby devices, record audio in standby and track viewed content, with data reportedly sent to LG Ad Solutions.
Some LG OLED smart televisions reportedly collect and retain information about nearby networks, devices, audio and viewed content even when disconnected from the internet or in standby mode, according to an investigation by Gamers Nexus.
The investigation, conducted with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, involved testing retail LG OLED televisions. Packet captures allegedly showed the sets scanning for nearby hardware, including phones and smartwatches, while logging location data and details of nearby Wi-Fi networks.
The report also alleges that microphones could record audio while the televisions were in standby. Recordings were reportedly stored without an internet connection and uploaded to LG Ad Solutions after connectivity was restored.
Investigators further reported that the televisions used audio and video sampling for Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR. The technology can identify viewing activity through the television’s smart-TV apps and content connected through HDMI and other inputs.
ACR is used across the smart-TV industry to identify viewing habits, meaning the reported practice is not unique to LG. The investigation does not establish whether the behaviour applies to all models, regions or privacy settings, and no response from LG or LG Ad Solutions was included in the source material.
The findings follow an earlier Gamers Nexus report that some LG monitors installed a data-collecting app and displayed promotional pop-ups. LG later disabled the pop-up advertisements following public pressure and Microsoft involvement.
