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A Gamers Nexus investigation accused LG TVs of covertly recording audio and monitoring viewing habits, sparking backlash even after LG issued a response. However, reporting shows this kind of automatic content recognition tracking, which fingerprints audio and video to identify what's being watched, is used industry-wide, not just by LG, and users typically consent to it through dense terms of service.
LG issued a detailed statement pushing back on a Gamers Nexus investigation alleging its smart TVs capture audio and network data even while asleep or offline. The company said voice processing only activates via a wake word or remote button press, and that features like Automatic Content Recognition and ad targeting are opt-in, not default.
LG issued a statement responding to findings from Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs and independent researchers that its smart TVs log and upload user data, including ambient audio. LG says its TVs don't continuously record or transmit conversations, that wake-word detection happens locally, and that features like Automatic Content Recognition and voice recognition are optional and off by default.
An investigation by YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, working with independent security researchers and Level1Techs, found that LG smart TVs scan local Wi-Fi networks to catalog connected devices and nearby network names, even while offline or in standby mode. The TVs also use automatic content recognition to track viewing habits and have microphones capable of capturing and transcribing nearby conversations, with the collected data reportedly funneled to LG's advertising arm.
LG issued a statement to Tom's Hardware rejecting claims from a Gamers Nexus investigation that its smart TVs constantly log data and record ambient audio even in standby mode. LG confirmed its TVs scan local networks for other devices, a common smart-TV feature, but insisted voice data is only processed when a remote button is pressed or a wake word like 'Hi LG' is detected. The company said no audio is transmitted unless that wake word is recognized, and wake-word detection itself happens on-device rather than being sent to servers.
An investigation by Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs, alongside independent security researchers, found LG's smart OLED TVs use Automatic Content Recognition to monitor viewing habits across all input sources and scan connected home networks, sending this data to LG Ad Solutions for targeted advertising. The team also uncovered a security flaw allowing the TVs' built-in microphone to be secretly activated for audio recording even when the set appears off, with stored recordings capable of being transmitted later once reconnected to power and internet.
An investigation by YouTube channels Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs, using packet capture tools and firmware analysis, found that LG TVs including the $2,500 G5 OLED can scan a household's entire local network, detecting phones, smartwatches and other unrelated devices even when those devices are never connected to the TV. Researchers say this behavior is built into the TV's native functionality rather than the result of a security flaw, and can occur even when the TV is turned off.
An investigation by Gamers Nexus, in partnership with Level1Techs and independent researchers, found that LG OLED smart TVs continuously scan local networks for nearby devices, track Wi-Fi and location data, and can record microphone audio even in standby mode. The TVs reportedly stored this data locally when disconnected from the internet and uploaded it to LG Ad Solutions once reconnected.
An investigation by Gamers Nexus, working with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, found that LG OLED TVs continually scan local Wi-Fi networks for nearby devices, log location and network details, and send this data to LG Ad Solutions. The TVs were also found capable of capturing microphone audio during standby, storing it locally when disconnected from the internet and uploading it once reconnected, alongside using Automatic Content Recognition to identify what owners watch through apps and HDMI inputs.
An investigation by Gamers Nexus, working with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, found that LG OLED TVs including the G5 actively scan home networks to identify phones, smartwatches and other nearby devices, while also capturing microphone audio even when the display appears off. The collected data, including Wi-Fi network names, signal strength and location details, is later uploaded once the TV reconnects to the internet and feeds into LG's advertising arm, LG Ad Solutions.
LG's Monitor App Installer software was found sneaking pop-up ads, disguised as driver updates, onto customers' PCs, with McAfee promotions appearing at every boot even on premium $1,200 UltraGear monitors. After PC hardware outlet Gamers Nexus exposed the issue, Microsoft stepped in and pressured LG to pull the ads.