A new investigation by technology researchers has raised serious privacy concerns about LG smart televisions. According to findings from Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs, certain LG TV models continue to scan home networks and record audio through their built-in microphones even when the television appears to be switched off.
The Investigation
The research, conducted on retail LG OLED sets including the G5 model, revealed that the devices actively scan for other gadgets on the home network—such as smartphones, smartwatches, computers, and printers—and collect internal IP addresses as well as information about nearby Wi-Fi networks like names and signal strength. Most alarmingly, the microphones captured clear audio even after the display shut down, and when disconnected from the internet, the TV stored recordings locally before uploading them once connectivity returned.
Security Flaws in webOS
Beyond data collection, the team also identified remote code execution vulnerabilities in LG’s webOS software. These flaws were reported to LG through responsible disclosure. Although LG allows users to disable voice recognition in the settings, the investigation found no physical hardware switch to cut power to the microphone, leaving a potential backdoor for always-on listening.
How to Protect Yourself
As of now, LG has not issued an official statement. In the meantime, users can take several precautions:
- Install the latest firmware updates regularly.
- Review privacy settings under the Settings or Privacy & Terms menu.
- Read all agreements carefully before accepting them.
- Keep the TV on a separate guest network to isolate it from sensitive devices.
- Disable UPnP on the router and avoid exposing TV services directly to the internet.
These steps can help reduce the risk of unwanted data collection while awaiting an official fix from LG.