Investigation finds LG televisions may collect network and audio data.
LG smart TVs are facing fresh privacy questions after an investigation found that some models can search for other devices on a home network and collect microphone audio while the television appears to be turned off. The investigation was carried out by Gamers Nexus with Level1Techs and outside security researchers. Testing included LG OLED televisions, including the G5, a high-end model from the company. Researchers examined the network activity produced by the televisions to better understand what information the sets were sending and receiving.
Using Wireshark, a tool that allows network traffic to be examined, researchers found that LG smart TVs were looking across local home networks for other connected equipment. That included devices such as smartphones and smartwatches. The televisions were also found to gather information about nearby wireless networks, including network names and signal strength. The findings are raising concerns because a television can have access to information beyond what is shown on its screen. A television connected to a home network may be able to detect other devices in the same household, creating a broader picture of the technology being used inside a home.
The investigation also examined the television’s microphone. Researchers found that an LG television was capable of recording clear audio even when the screen appeared to be off and the television was in standby mode. The testing reportedly continued after the television was disconnected from an Ethernet connection. According to the researchers, the television continued storing voice information while it was offline. Once the internet connection was restored, the stored information was then sent out.
The findings are tied in part to a technology known as Automated Content Recognition (ACR). This technology can create digital fingerprints from sounds and images being played on a television. Those fingerprints can be used to determine what content is being watched, including programming coming through different sources connected to the television. ACR has been used in smart televisions for years as a way to gather information about viewing habits. The recent investigation, however, raised additional questions because the testing suggested that data collection could extend beyond identifying television programs.
Advertising is another part of the concern. LG Ad Solutions, the company’s advertising business, says it can identify large numbers of other devices connected to the same networks as LG smart televisions. The company says this provides access to hundreds of millions of secondary devices in the United States for advertising purposes.
LG has reported selling about 216 million smart televisions around the world, including about 49 million in the U.S. alone. With millions of sets connected to home networks, questions about what information televisions collect can affect a large number of households.
Online reactions to the investigation showed concern from some television owners. Some people reported seeing large numbers of network requests from LG televisions, while others questioned how much information was being gathered in the background. Several commenters said privacy settings on smart televisions can be difficult to understand or control.
The investigation does not mean that every LG television is recording conversations at all times, nor does it establish that every television model behaves in exactly the same way. However, the testing has raised questions about how standby functions, microphones, network connections and advertising systems work together. For households concerned about privacy, the findings may lead to closer attention to television settings, microphone controls, network access and data collection choices.
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