LG TVs collect data on users even when offline

An investigation by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus has found that LG smart TVs collect and transmit data about their owners and homes almost constantly, even when switched off or in standby mode. The devices scan the home Wi-Fi network for other devices, record audio through their built-in microphones, and use audio and video sampling to recognise what is being watched across the TV's various inputs.

The investigation was carried out together with the channel Level1Techs and independent security researchers, using retail LG OLED models. Network traffic captures showed the TVs detecting nearby devices such as phones and smartwatches, logging location data and information about nearby Wi-Fi networks, and sending all of it to LG Ad Solutions, the company's advertising division.

Recordings even offline

The most concerning point involves the microphones: the TVs are able to record audio in standby mode even after being disconnected from the internet. The audio files are stored locally and uploaded to LG's servers once the connection is restored.

The picture is completed by Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), technology that analyses audio and video data to work out what the user is watching, both through the apps on the TV's smart interface and through content connected via HDMI or other ports. The issue isn't unique to LG: a video from RTINGS shows that ACR is used by nearly every smart TV manufacturer.

This isn't the first time LG has come under scrutiny from Gamers Nexus. Last July, the channel reported that some LG monitors automatically installed an app that collected device data and showed pop-up ads for other LG apps and for McAfee antivirus software. Public pressure from that video prompted Microsoft to step in, ultimately leading LG to disable the pop-ups.