LG's TVs listen to conversations, collect data from home network devices, ..

LG's TVs listen to conversations, collect data from home network devices, ..
Korean giant LG is once again at the center of a privacy scandal, as it was revealed that the company's smart TVs collect a frightening amount of data.

A two-hour video from the Gamers Nexus channel goes through all the alarming revelations that emerged when LG's televisions were examined more closely.



Firstly, the company's smart TVs constantly scan the local network to which they are connected and gather information about other devices found on the same local network. This means, for example, data from home phones, printers, and computers is collected and stored by the TV.

In addition, the TV's WiFi constantly collects information about other nearby WiFi networks, even when WiFi has not been used to connect the TV to the home's local network. The TV also stores this information in its own storage with timestamps.



Another observation concerned the operation of smart TV voice control. After voice control is activated and a voice command is given to the TV about what it should do, the TV does not stop listening. Instead, it actively listens to conversations for an extended period and transcribes the speech into text format, which is stored in the TV's storage.

In certain situations, the TV did not stop recording audio even when "turned off," meaning in power-saving mode, which is how most users switch off their TVs - few smart TVs can actually be truly turned off with a remote control anymore.

Furthermore, like many other TV manufacturers, TVs use technology that recognizes what is displayed on the screen (Automated Content Recognition, ACR). In practice, the TV periodically takes screenshots of the content displayed on the screen.

The TVs send the collected data to LG's subsidiary, LG Ad Solutions, which provides advertising solutions. With the collected data, LG Ad Solutions can target advertising very precisely to its smart TVs, as the company knows an extreme amount about the household using the TV.

If the TV is completely disconnected from the internet, it naturally cannot send data forward. However, it continues to collect and store data in its storage. When the TV is then reconnected to the network, all data collected in offline mode is immediately sent to LG Ad Solutions.



This privacy scandal is the second for LG in a short period, as it was revealed this summer how LG-manufactured computer monitors brazenly exploit a mechanism intended for installing Windows device drivers.

The full video from Gamers Nexus, which made the revelations, is below:





Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 10 Sep 2026 13:52
Tags
LG television Privacy
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  • 2 comments
  • Imissyou

    Yeah, this is wild but not surprising anymore honestly. The part that gets me is the "off doesnt mean off" bit, power saving mode still recording and transcribing voice is a genuinely creepy design choice, not just a bug. And scanning the rest of your home network for other devices feels like it crosses a line that has nothing to do with making the TV actually work better.

    Makes me way more cautious about what I plug into my home network now, smart TVs included. Been looking into routers with proper device isolation and separate VLANs after reading stuff like this. I found some platforms covering networking gear and privacy focused hardware over at Etech Devices and Newegg, worth a look if you want more control over what your devices can actually see.

    15.9.2026 20:15 #1

  • moboseo

    This screen asks for your consent so that LG may use the health-related data you provide (such as activity, sleep, heart rate, or other wellness information) to help train and improve its artificial intelligence models. By agreeing, you allow Samsung to process this data for the purpose of developing and enhancing AI features that may benefit users in the future.

    Guriq Singh

    18.9.2026 13:07 #2

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