LG Smart TVs caught listening even with the screen off

In a new video exposé, LG's Smart TVs were found to scan for devices on your WiFi network, record audio from your living room even when the display is off, and use ACR extensively.

The investigation covers much of what we at FlatpanelsHD already knew and have reported extensively on regarding ACR (Automatic Content Recognition), which constantly takes screenshots of what you watch, even over HDMI.

This has been going on for a decade or more, and it is somewhat unclear why Gamers Nexus singled out LG, as Smart TVs from all major brands have been doing this for years. Nevertheless, it is important to keep the spotlight on the issue of ACR, even if it can be turned off manually.

The extensive amount of data collected via ACR has led LG Ad Solutions to openly tell partners and advertisers in sales pitches that "we own the glass, we own the TV", meaning customers' TVs.


Scans your WiFi, records speech
What is new, however, is Gamers Nexus' documentation, in collaboration with independent security researchers, of how LG Smart TVs continuously scan and map your WiFi network to identify other connected devices and collect extensive information about you.

The TVs send IP address, location, nearby WiFi network names and more information back to LG, which can be used to build a profile of you and your family for advertising on the TV or other devices.

In addition, the TV transcribes conversations in your living room whenever the microphone in the TV or remote control is active. You first have to wake the microphone with "Hi LG", but this can happen accidentally, and the microphone continues listening despite silence for up to 10-15 seconds.


Gamers Nexus found that the TV could record and transcribe speech even when the display was off and even when the TV was not connected to the internet. The stored data cam be sent back to LG as soon as the TV connects to the internet, even if the connection is only made to download a firmware update. Instead, you can update the firmware offline via a USB stick.

As Gamers Nexus points out this does not appear to match LG's claims that its TVs "do not collect, record, or store ambient conversations." The full video can be found in the source link.


Disconnect your Smart TV
More than 216 million LG Smart TVs have been sold, according to LG, which has not commented on the video exposé. Across all brands, an estimated 1.3–1.5 billion Smart TVs have been sold worldwide.

 Also read: Report: Apple TV 4K tops privacy with no invasive viewing tracking (ACR)

The team recommends disconnecting your LG Smart TV from the internet and using an external media player instead. It can be controlled with your TV's remote control – and vice versa.

- Source: Gamers Nexus