A new investigation from Gamers Nexus alleges that LG smart TVs collect far more data than most owners realize, and that security flaws can turn them into listening devices.
Working with security researchers MrBruh and uturn and Wendell of Level1 Techs, Gamers Nexus found that the TVs use automatic content recognition (ACR) to fingerprint what's on screen and send that data to LG's ad subsidiary, even when the TV is only used as a monitor over HDMI. The TVs also scanned the office network and identified dozens of unrelated devices, including staff phones, smartwatches, and a thermostat. They also logged nearby Wi-Fi networks, which can be used to pinpoint a TV's location.
The voice features raised further concerns. After being triggered with "Hi LG," the TVs kept listening to nearby conversations, sometimes for minutes, and saved transcripts in plain-text logs. They picked up voices from more than 40 feet away. LG has stated that its TVs do not collect ambient conversations.
