Full Breakdown
LG Smart TVs Face Audio-Surveillance Allegations
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A multi-hour investigation by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, in partnership with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, alleges that LG’s smart OLED televisions can record ambient conversations, retain audio transcripts, and scan home networks even when the devices appear to be turned off or disconnected from the internet. The researchers demonstrated audio capture through the TV’s built-in microphone and, in some cases, through the remote’s microphone, storing recordings locally before uploading them when the TV reconnects. LG has publicly denied that its televisions record ambient speech outside of explicit user activation.
Background & Context
Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, which LG markets through its LG Ad Solutions advertising arm, is widely used in smart TVs to identify viewed content and deliver targeted ads. ACR is typically enabled by default and can collect viewing data from HDMI-connected devices. Industry-wide scrutiny of such practices has grown after Apple settled a 2025 lawsuit alleging inadvertent Siri recordings were transmitted without consent.
Data & Statistics
- LG reports 49 million smart TVs sold in the United States and 216 million units globally.
- The Gamers Nexus video, titled “216,000,000 Spy TVs,” claims a comparable number of LG sets in the U.S. could be harvesting audio.
- Researchers identified remote-code-execution (RCE) vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to control TV functions and retrieve stored recordings.
- Scanning of home networks captured internal IP addresses, nearby Wi-Fi SSIDs, and device names, which LG describes as a “standard” smart-TV function.
Official Statements & Responses
LG stated that voice data is recorded only when a user presses and holds the remote’s voice button or invokes the wake word “Hi LG” after enabling Far-Field voice recognition. The company added that if the wake word is not recognized, the audio is processed locally and immediately deleted, with no transmission to servers. LG confirmed that its TVs scan the user’s Wi-Fi network to discover nearby devices for legitimate purposes such as screen casting and smart-home integration, and that ACR, voice recognition, and interest-based advertising each require explicit user opt-in and can be disabled in the settings.
Criticism & Opposition
He questioned the purpose of retaining audio after the wake word, suggesting it could serve “logging, analytics or model training” rather than real-time command execution. Vekaria also noted that LG’s advertising business is built on household data, and its voice pipeline appears to capture and retain more than users would expect.
Anna Maria Mandalari, a lecturer in communications and networking at University College London, explained that device discovery can reveal the composition of a household and help create broader occupant profiles, even though the function is intended for legitimate connectivity tasks.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Researcher claims: Audio can be recorded in standby mode, stored locally, and uploaded later; transcripts persist for 10-15 seconds after “Hi LG”; network scanning occurs without user permission.
- LG’s position: Ambient recording occurs only after explicit activation; any unrecognized wake word triggers local processing and deletion; network scanning is a standard feature.
- Verification status: Al Jazeera noted that the researchers’ findings have not been independently verified. No concrete evidence has linked captured audio to LG’s advertising or profiling systems.
