LG Smart TV Investigation Raises New Privacy And Security Concerns

A months-long investigation by Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs and independent security researchers has raised new questions about privacy and security on LG smart TVs after testing found the devices scanning local networks, collecting information about nearby equipment and using audio and video recognition technologies for advertising and audience measurement.

The investigation, published September 7, examined retail LG OLED televisions, including the G5 and OLED65G3PUA, using network packet analysis, firmware inspection and other security-testing methods. The researchers also identified remote-code-execution vulnerabilities in webOS, LG’s television operating system, although the technical details of those flaws are being withheld while the company has an opportunity to address them.

LG TVs Were Found Scanning Local Networks

One of the clearest findings involved the television’s ability to identify other devices connected to the same local network. Researchers used Wireshark, a network protocol analyzer, to observe traffic from LG televisions and found evidence that the sets could enumerate unrelated equipment, including smartphones and smartwatches.

The analysis indicated that the televisions could identify internal IP addresses and gather information about nearby Wi-Fi networks, including network names and signal strength. The investigation also found that this functionality did not depend on exploiting a security vulnerability.

LG defended the capability as part of the normal functionality of a connected television. In a statement reported by Ars Technica, the company said its TVs can scan for nearby devices to enable features such as connectivity, content sharing and smart-home functions, describing the capability as a standard feature found in smart TVs and other connected devices.

The Audio Finding Requires An Important Distinction

The most serious claims concern microphone access while the television’s display appears to be off. The researchers demonstrated that an LG television could capture microphone audio while disconnected from the network, with the resulting information stored locally. However, the investigation distinguishes between what the television’s normal software does and what researchers were able to achieve after obtaining deeper access to the system.

That distinction is important. The research does not establish that LG routinely records private conversations and sends them to its servers without the user’s knowledge. LG explicitly rejected that interpretation, saying that a TV in standby monitors for a wake word only when its Far-Field feature has previously been enabled and that audio used for wake-word detection is processed locally and promptly deleted if no wake word is detected.

LG further said it does not collect, record or transmit ambient conversations unless voice functionality has been intentionally activated by the user. The company says audio processing occurs after the user activates the voice function and a wake word such as “Hi LG” is detected.

ACR Turns TV Viewing Into Advertising Data

A separate issue is Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), a technology that is not unique to LG but is central to the company’s connected-TV advertising business. ACR analyzes what is displayed and heard on the television to determine viewing behavior across traditional broadcasts, streaming services and other inputs.

LG Ad Solutions openly markets its ACR technology as a source of first-party data about viewing behavior. The company’s advertising platform says its technology can identify programs, movies, advertisements, gaming content and streaming activity displayed on LG televisions, and can use those insights for audience targeting and measurement.

The investigation reported that the tested televisions sampled short portions of audio and video to create digital fingerprints of the content being viewed. Reports based on the investigation described samples of roughly six seconds. The researchers also linked this data ecosystem to LG Ad Solutions, the company’s connected-TV advertising operation.

LG has been building this advertising infrastructure for several years. In 2022, LG announced the global rollout of its proprietary ACR technology across millions of televisions in 27 countries, replacing legacy technology and making LG Ad Solutions the exclusive provider of LG’s connected-TV inventory and data worldwide.

Researchers Also Identified WebOS Security Flaws

The investigation goes beyond privacy settings and advertising practices. Security researchers working with the project identified vulnerabilities in webOS that could allow an attacker to execute code remotely and obtain elevated privileges on affected televisions.

Because the technical details remain under responsible disclosure, the researchers have not publicly released the complete exploitation chain. Separate security research published this year has already documented a webOS kernel vulnerability capable of achieving persistent root access on several LG television models and firmware versions, after being reported to LG’s security program.

The security implications become more significant because a compromised television can potentially provide access not only to the television itself but also to information about other devices on the same home network. That makes connected televisions relevant to cybersecurity assessments in homes, offices and other environments where sensitive devices share the same network.

LG’s Advertising Business Makes The Data Valuable

The privacy debate is closely connected to the economics of connected television. LG Ad Solutions describes its platform as a cross-device advertising system that combines viewing information with audience targeting and can reach devices beyond the television itself.

The company’s current advertising materials say LG Ad Solutions has access to 216 million LG Smart TVs globally and can reach hundreds of millions of secondary devices through its connected-TV ecosystem. The platform describes ACR as a way to understand viewing behavior and create audience segments for advertisers.

This business model helps explain why data generated by a television has become commercially valuable. The device is no longer simply a screen for displaying content; it can also serve as a source of information about viewing habits, connected devices and audience characteristics.

What LG Users Should Take From The Findings

The investigation does not show that every LG television is secretly recording household conversations for advertising purposes. It does, however, demonstrate that modern smart TVs contain microphones, network-discovery capabilities, advertising systems and complex software that can collect or process substantially more information than a conventional television.

LG’s own privacy documentation states that the company may process audiovisual information and, for certain products and functions, voice information and device-related data. Its current television ecosystem also includes voice recognition and personalized content features that depend on connected services.

For consumers, the practical issue is therefore not simply whether a television is “on” or “off.” Standby modes, voice-recognition settings, ACR functions, network connectivity and software vulnerabilities can all affect what a connected television is capable of doing.

The findings also reinforce a broader issue affecting the smart-TV industry: the same technologies that make televisions more personalized and useful can turn them into sophisticated data-collection platforms. In LG’s case, the combination of advertising infrastructure, network visibility and unresolved security questions is now facing renewed scrutiny.