An investigation has raised concerns that some LG smart televisions may be eavesdropping on viewers, recording conversations, and collecting personal data, according to a report from the New York Post, citing claims made by YouTube channel Gamers Nexus and independent researchers.
The investigation alleges that as long as an LG TV is connected to the internet, its built-in microphones and webcams can capture room audio without explicit user permission. These recorded files can then be uploaded the moment an internet connection is re-established, even if the Wi-Fi was temporarily disabled.
While many smart TV brands utilize Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) systems to track viewing habits for targeted advertising, researchers suggest LG's system extends beyond standard data collection. The findings indicate LG's ACR system may also access data from smartphones sharing the same Wi-Fi network.
LG's ACR technology reportedly reaches millions of smart TVs globally and grants access to data from hundreds of millions of secondary devices, such as smartphones linked to the same Wi-Fi network. Investigators claim they were able to extract transcripts of private conversations overheard by the TV's microphones. The report also notes that such data could potentially be used for political campaigns.
LG Ad Solutions, the company's advertising division, is said to utilize this data harvesting for targeted advertising. The collected audio and video snippets are cross-referenced with media libraries to track on-screen content. LG's website states that its ACR technology is active on approximately 49 million smart TVs in the U.S. and nearly 216 million worldwide.
An LG spokesperson has refuted these claims to the Daily Mail, stating that voice data is only processed when the remote's voice button is activated or when a user says "Hi LG." The company insists that its TVs do not collect or record ambient conversations outside of these specific triggers.
The Gamers Nexus report has garnered significant attention online, sparking outrage on social media. Users have expressed concerns about privacy violations and the potential misuse of personal data.
To disable the ACR system on LG TVs, users can navigate to Settings > General > System > Advanced Settings > Live Plus and toggle the feature off. This action takes approximately five seconds.