You may not like to hear this, but if you use an LG smart TV, it might have been doing more than waiting patiently for you to watch the next episode of your favorite sitcom. According to a disturbing new investigation by hardware-focused YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, your television may have been doing some serious multitasking while its screen was black.
Having examined LG smart TVs, the team said they found some of them could record audio, scan nearby devices, and collect information about what you are watching even when the TV appeared to be powered down.
Some of what they found is, to put it mildly, unsettling.
The TV wasn’t exactly ‘off’
Gamers Nexus teamed up with Level1Techs and independent security researchers to investigate several retail LG OLED TVs, including the company’s flagship G5 model. After more than 500 hours of testing, the team found that the TVs were constantly communicating with the outside world and collecting information about their surroundings.
That reportedly included scanning local Wi-Fi networks for nearby devices such as phones and smartwatches, collecting details about nearby Wi-Fi networks, and gathering location-related information.
The most unsettling discovery involved the TV’s microphone. According to the researchers, they were able to retrieve microphone recordings from a TV while its screen was dark and the device was in standby mode. In another test, the TV reportedly continued storing audio even after being disconnected from the internet, with the recordings remaining on the device until it reconnected.
Muting the microphone may not have solved the problem
The researchers reportedly disabled the TV’s main microphone through its settings. But they said they were still able to retrieve usable audio from a second microphone that wasn’t affected by that mute setting.
LG has previously said that its voice features are optional and that its TVs do not collect, record or store ambient conversations. The new investigation definitely makes you wonder how those claims line up with what the researchers found during their testing.
It is important to note that the investigation’s findings center on specific tested models and configurations, so they don’t necessarily prove that every LG TV is recording conversations in the same way.
Your TV may also know what you’re watching
The audio issue is only part of the story. Like many smart TVs, LG sets use a technology called Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR. Think of it as Shazam for your television. ACR can use audio and video samples to identify what you’re watching. And it doesn’t necessarily matter whether you are using Netflix through the TV’s software or watching something through an HDMI-connected device. The technology can potentially recognize content across different inputs and feed viewing information into advertising systems.
To be fair, LG is not the only one doing this. ACR technology is used throughout the smart TV industry, and it’s one of the ways companies build profiles around viewers’ habits for advertising purposes. So if you thought your TV was simply displaying your shows, welcome to the reality of modern connected gadgets.
This isn’t LG’s first rodeo with data collection
The company has already faced scrutiny over how its devices collect user information. Earlier this year, the state of Texas reached an agreement with LG requiring the company to obtain clearer consent before collecting certain viewing data and provide consumers with an easier way to opt out.
LG also faced criticism after Gamers Nexus discovered that some of its monitors were automatically installing software that collected device information and displayed pop-up advertisements. The backlash eventually prompted changes to the software.
Do you own an LG TV?
If you own an LG smart TV, you will want to get on top of this as soon as you can. First, you can turn off Live Plus, LG’s feature associated with viewing-data collection. On compatible models, the setting can be found at: Settings > General > System > Advanced Settings > Live Plus.
You may also want to disable voice assistant features and review the TV’s privacy settings. But based on the investigation, simply toggling off one privacy setting may not stop every form of data collection researchers observed.
The most effective step you can probably take is to physically disconnect the TV from your Wi-Fi and router entirely. You can still use an external streaming device through HDMI while keeping the television itself offline. Basically, turn your $2,000 smart TV into a very expensive dumb screen. A little aggressive, but it’s a reliable fix.