SEOUL, September 12 — An investigation into LG smart televisions has raised fresh questions about how much information a connected TV can collect inside a home, with researchers claiming some tested devices could capture audio in standby mode and identify other gadgets connected to the same network. The investigation was conducted by Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs, and independent security researchers, who examined retail LG OLED televisions and analysed their network traffic and firmware.
Researchers said some TVs scanned local networks, collected information about nearby Wi-Fi networks, and stored microphone audio while offline. They said the information could then be uploaded after connectivity was restored.
LG strongly disputes the central allegations. The company says its TVs do not collect or record ambient conversations unless voice functionality has been deliberately activated. It also describes network scanning as a standard smart-TV function and says its Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature is opt-in.
LG says voice data is processed only when users press the voice button or activate a wake word such as “Hi LG.” It says that, outside those circumstances, its TVs do not collect or record ambient conversations, while wake-word detection is handled locally. The competing claims mean the reported audio findings should be treated as allegations from the investigation rather than established evidence that all LG TVs secretly record conversations.
What the researchers say the TVs did
Researchers said some tested LG televisions scanned local networks and identified devices including phones, computers, smartwatches, printers, and other connected hardware. They also reported that the sets could collect information about nearby Wi-Fi networks. The most controversial finding concerned microphones, with researchers saying tested televisions could retain audio while in standby and store files locally while disconnected from the internet.
The controversy also highlights the financial value of smart-TV data. LG operates a connected-TV advertising business through LG Ad Solutions.
In 2022, LG Electronics announced the global rollout of its proprietary ACR technology across millions of smart TVs, saying the system would support connected-TV advertising. ACR can identify content being viewed and help platforms understand audiences. Such information can help advertisers measure campaigns and reach viewers across an increasingly fragmented television market.
LG’s privacy policy also states that the company processes information through its services and can share personal information with advertising partners to measure advertising effectiveness, improve marketing, and deliver more relevant advertising. That policy does not establish the specific audio-recording allegations.
It does, however, show why information generated by connected televisions has become commercially significant.
Owners react — and LG faces a wider pattern of scrutiny
The investigation has prompted strong reactions among LG owners online. Users on Reddit’s r/LGOLED community have described the alleged practices as spyware, while others have discussed disconnecting their televisions from the internet or reconsidering LG products. The reaction follows separate concerns raised by Gamers Nexus about LG monitors earlier in 2026.
That investigation alleged that some LG monitors were installing software and displaying promotional pop-ups, adding to scrutiny of the company’s approach to advertising and connected hardware. For LG, repeated scrutiny could become a commercial problem if consumers begin viewing internet connectivity as a liability rather than a feature.
LG is not the only manufacturer using ACR technology. Malwarebytes notes that smart TVs are internet-connected computers with microphones, apps, advertising systems, and access to the same networks used by phones, laptops, and smart-home devices. The LG dispute therefore points to a wider privacy issue.
Modern televisions function as networked computers in the home, and the same data-collection practices that make them useful to advertisers can also create privacy risks for owners. What to watch next: whether LG publishes a fuller technical response to the researchers’ firmware findings, and whether the dispute pushes other TV makers to explain more plainly what their sets collect — and when.
