LG Smart TVs Accused of Scanning Home Networks and Recording Audio Even Offline

LG smart TVs are facing fresh privacy concerns after an investigation alleged that some models can scan users’ home networks, track viewing habits and capture audio even when the television is in standby or disconnected from the internet.

The findings came from an investigation by technology channel Gamers Nexus, carried out with Level1Techs and independent security researchers. Tests on retail LG OLED televisions reportedly found that the devices continued collecting certain information even without an active internet connection.

According to the investigation, some LG televisions scanned local networks and identified devices connected nearby, including smartphones and smartwatches.

Researchers also reported that the TVs could collect information about nearby Wi-Fi networks, including network details and location-related data. The findings raised concerns because a television could potentially build a picture of the devices and wireless networks surrounding a household.

The investigation linked some of this data collection to LG Ad Solutions, the company’s advertising business. The report also examined LG’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, which can identify what users are watching.

ACR can analyse audio and video signals to determine the content being displayed, including material coming through external inputs such as HDMI. Such technology is used across the smart-TV industry to support advertising, recommendations and audience measurement, although the privacy implications have attracted increasing scrutiny.

The most serious allegation concerned the televisions’ microphones. Researchers said they observed audio being captured while an LG television was in standby mode. They further claimed that audio could continue to be stored locally even after the television was disconnected from the internet, with the data later transmitted when the connection was restored.

If independently confirmed across affected models and configurations, such behaviour would raise significant questions about privacy and consumer consent.

LG has strongly disputed the investigation’s conclusions. The company said its televisions do not secretly record ambient conversations and that voice data is processed only when a user presses the voice button on the remote or activates the far-field voice-recognition feature and uses the relevant wake word.

LG also said wake-word detection is handled locally on the television and that voice data is not transmitted to its servers when the wake word is not recognised.

The company acknowledged that its smart TVs can scan for nearby devices as part of their connectivity functions, describing this as a standard feature of smart devices. LG also maintained that ACR is an optional feature that requires user consent.

The dispute highlights a broader issue surrounding smart TVs, which are increasingly functioning less like traditional television sets and more like connected computers equipped with microphones, apps, advertising systems and access to home networks.

The investigation does not establish that every LG television is secretly recording its owners, and LG’s response directly contradicts several of the researchers’ conclusions.

For consumers, however, the controversy is a reminder to review privacy, voice-assistant, advertising and ACR settings on smart TVs and other connected devices.