An investigation by Gamers Nexus, in partnership with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, has found that LG’s retail OLED televisions collect extensive data on users and their home networks, even when the TVs are in standby mode or disconnected from the internet. The findings affect owners of LG smart TVs in the US, where the devices are widely sold, and add to growing concerns about privacy practices across the television industry. The investigation involved packet captures on retail units, which revealed that the TVs scan local networks for nearby hardware such as phones and smartwatches, log location data, and record details of nearby Wi-Fi networks.
That information is then sent back to LG Ad Solutions, the company’s advertising arm. More troubling, the TVs were also found capable of recording microphone audio while in standby. This audio recording continued even after the television had no internet connection, with the captured files stored locally on the device and uploaded automatically once a connection was restored. The scope of the data collection extends beyond audio, as the TVs also use Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR, which relies on audio and video signals to identify what a user is watching.
ACR examines not only content played through the TV’s own smart interface but also material coming through external devices connected via HDMI and other ports. The technology is not unique to LG, as a separate video from RTINGS notes that ACR is used by nearly every major smart TV manufacturer to track viewing habits. The findings give consumers another reason to consider never connecting their smart TVs to the internet, a step that the investigators suggest may be necessary to prevent unwanted surveillance.
This is not the first time LG has faced public scrutiny over data collection practices. Earlier this year, Gamers Nexus flagged that certain LG monitors were automatically installing an app that gathered device data and displayed pop-up ads for LG’s other applications as well as McAfee antivirus software. That earlier report drew enough public attention to prompt an intervention from Microsoft, which ultimately led LG to disable the pop-up advertisements on those monitors.
The latest investigation expands on those concerns, moving from monitors to the company’s flagship OLED television line. While LG Ad Solutions is the identified recipient of the network and location data, the investigation also raises questions about the offline storage and delayed transmission of audio files. For US consumers, the findings underscore that smart TV features marketed for convenience may come with hidden trade-offs in personal privacy, particularly in a market where ACR is now standard practice across competing brands.
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