SEOUL — LG Electronics has denied allegations that its smart televisions secretly record ambient conversations, store household audio or transmit voice data while in standby mode, responding to a widely shared investigation that raised new questions about privacy in connected home devices.
The company said its televisions process voice data only when a user deliberately activates a voice feature, either by pressing and holding the voice button on the remote control or by using the “Hi LG” wake word after enabling far-field voice recognition.
“Other than these instances, the TVs do not collect or record ambient conversations,” LG said in a statement provided to technology publications.
The denial followed an investigation by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, which alleged that some LG televisions could collect more data than users might expect, including local-network information, viewing data and, under certain conditions, room audio. The report also raised concerns about how voice data could be stored and whether smart-TV features created security risks that attackers could exploit.
LG rejected the central surveillance claim but confirmed that its televisions scan local networks for other devices. The company described that behavior as standard for modern smart televisions and connected-media devices, saying it helps users discover and connect compatible equipment.
The dispute illustrates a broader challenge facing consumers: smart TVs are no longer just screens. They are internet-connected computers with microphones, advertising systems, app platforms, device-discovery tools and, in some cases, cameras or USB peripherals.
That complexity can make it difficult for users to understand what their television is collecting, when it is listening and how to control its settings.
The allegations
The Gamers Nexus investigation focused on LG televisions and their webOS smart-TV software. The researchers claimed that the devices could gather extensive information about users and their homes, including network-device data, content-viewing information and voice-related records.
The most serious allegation was that LG televisions could record ambient audio from rooms even when the television was in standby mode, allowing voice data to be captured without a user actively issuing a command.
The investigation also alleged that voice-command transcripts were stored in plain text and that some information could be sent to LG systems or advertising-related services when the television later connected to the internet.
The researchers’ findings were based in part on testing that involved gaining root access to an LG television and using an external USB camera and microphone.
That detail is important.
A rooted television is not operating in the same condition as a standard consumer device. Root access can bypass normal restrictions and expose system behavior that a typical user cannot see or activate.
The investigation also reportedly used an external webcam rather than only the television’s built-in hardware.
That does not make the privacy questions irrelevant. A device that can be compromised or modified may still present a security risk. But it changes the meaning of the claim.
There is a significant difference between a television routinely recording conversations under normal factory settings and a television that can capture audio after being rooted, modified or connected to external equipment.
Independent publications reviewing the dispute have emphasized that the researchers’ claims have not been fully verified by outside security labs.
LG’s response
LG’s response focused on voice activation.
The company said its televisions process voice data only in two circumstances:
- When the user presses and holds the voice button on the remote control.
- When the user has activated far-field voice recognition and the television detects a wake phrase such as “Hi LG.”
According to LG, wake-word detection is performed locally on the television. If the device does not recognize the wake word, the company says the audio is immediately deleted and not transmitted to LG servers.
“Protecting Voice Privacy: We ensure that your LG TV does not collect, record or transmit ambient conversations in your home, unless voice functionality has been intentionally activated by the user,” LG said in a statement cited by Tom’s Hardware.
The company also said that its TVs can monitor for the wake word during standby mode only when a user has previously enabled the optional far-field voice-recognition feature.
This is similar to how smart speakers and many smartphones operate.
Devices with voice assistants often listen locally for a short audio pattern associated with a wake word. The system then begins processing or transmitting a longer audio request after it believes it has heard the phrase.
The privacy concern is that such systems can experience false activations. A device may incorrectly interpret ordinary speech, television audio or background noise as a wake word, potentially capturing a short segment of sound.
LG says its process is designed to keep undetected audio local and delete it immediately.
The company did not directly address every element of the original investigation, including questions about how voice-command transcripts may be stored, whether some logs are encrypted and what data is retained after a valid voice request.
Those unanswered questions are likely to remain a focus for privacy researchers.
Network scanning: admitted, but described as normal
LG confirmed that its televisions scan local networks for other devices.
The company said the feature is standard across modern smart TVs and is used to identify compatible devices for connectivity, casting, media sharing and smart-home integration.
Network scanning can help a television discover a smartphone, speaker, laptop, game console, streaming device or home server.
But it can also reveal information about a household’s digital environment.
A television that identifies device names, network addresses or services may be able to infer what kinds of products a person owns. In the wrong hands, that information could be useful for advertising profiles or attackers attempting to map a home network.
LG has not said that it uses network-scan information for advertising. It says the behavior is common device-discovery functionality.
The privacy issue is therefore partly about transparency.
Consumers may accept network scanning if they understand it and can disable it. They may feel differently if they learn about it only after purchasing a television.
The same is true of automatic content recognition, or ACR.
Automatic content recognition and advertising
Smart TVs often use ACR technology to identify what is being shown on the screen.
ACR can analyze content from broadcast television, streaming apps, cable boxes, game consoles and HDMI-connected devices. The goal is often to help a TV recommend programs, measure viewing habits or personalize advertising.
LG said content viewed through HDMI devices is analyzed only if the user has enabled personalized advertising or content recommendations.
That limitation matters. It suggests that some data collection is tied to settings users can control.
But ACR remains controversial because many users do not understand what they are agreeing to when they accept a television’s terms of service during setup.
A consumer may think they are turning on movie recommendations. In practice, they may also be allowing the television to recognize what they watch across multiple inputs and generate viewing profiles.
Advertising technology companies value that information because television data can connect traditional TV viewing with digital advertising.
LG Ad Solutions, the company’s advertising division, is part of that ecosystem. The original investigation alleged that data could flow to advertising systems. LG did not publicly provide a detailed breakdown of what data is shared, retained or used for advertising in response to the allegations.
This is not unique to LG.
Samsung, Roku, Vizio, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and other smart-TV platforms all collect some form of usage data, depending on settings, region and service agreements.
The broader question is whether consumers have meaningful control.
The security angle
The dispute is not only about privacy. It is also about security.
Researchers said that, if an LG television were compromised, attackers could potentially access microphones or connected USB cameras and use the device for surveillance.
LG’s response addressed its normal voice-data practices. It did not publicly provide a detailed response to the possibility of a compromised device being used for spying.
That is a different category of risk.
A company may accurately say that its device does not routinely record ambient conversations. But if a vulnerability allows an attacker to take control of the microphone, the device can still pose a surveillance risk.
This is true of many internet-connected products, including smartphones, laptops, smart speakers, cameras, routers and home-security systems.
The relevant question for consumers is not only, “Is the company listening?”
It is also, “Could someone else listen if the device is hacked?”
Smart TVs often receive software updates, but their security support may not last as long as consumers keep the hardware. Many people own televisions for seven to 10 years or more, longer than the period in which a manufacturer may actively patch every model.
Consumers should therefore keep televisions updated, use strong Wi-Fi security and avoid installing untrusted apps or connecting unnecessary USB devices.
What has been verified, and what has not
Several points in the dispute are clear.
LG has denied that its televisions routinely record or transmit ambient conversations outside user-activated voice features.
LG has confirmed that its TVs scan local networks to discover devices, which it says is a standard smart-TV function.
LG has said that voice activation can occur when the remote button is pressed or when a user enables far-field voice recognition and uses a wake word.
The company says wake-word detection takes place locally and that audio is deleted when no wake word is detected.
Several other central claims remain contested or unverified.
No independent public security audit has yet confirmed that ordinary, unmodified LG TVs routinely record ambient conversations while in standby mode.
No independent publication cited in the available reports has verified that LG televisions transmit all ambient audio to company servers.
The researchers’ audio demonstration reportedly involved root access and external USB equipment, conditions that do not necessarily reflect normal consumer use.
That means consumers should avoid both extremes.
It would be premature to conclude that every LG TV is secretly recording living rooms. It would also be unwise to assume that smart-TV privacy concerns are imaginary or that users should accept opaque data practices without scrutiny.
The evidence supports a more careful conclusion: modern smart TVs collect data, use microphones and network-discovery tools, and can pose privacy or security risks depending on their settings, software and physical configuration.
How owners can protect privacy
Consumers who own an LG smart TV, or any connected television, can reduce data collection and exposure by reviewing settings.
Key steps include:
- Disable far-field voice recognition if you do not use “Hi LG” voice control.
- Turn off voice-assistant features you do not need.
- Review and disable personalized advertising and content recommendations where possible.
- Look for automatic content recognition, viewing-information or “Live Plus” settings and consider turning them off.
- Disable device-discovery or network-sharing features if they are not needed.
- Keep the TV’s firmware updated.
- Use a strong Wi-Fi password and a secure home router.
- Avoid connecting unnecessary USB cameras, microphones or storage devices.
- Remove permissions from apps you no longer use.
- Consider placing the TV on a separate guest or Internet-of-Things network if your router supports it.
- Read privacy settings again after major software updates, since options can change.
A privacy-focused user can also choose not to connect a television to the internet at all, though that may disable streaming apps, software updates and smart-home features.
Another option is to use an external streaming device, such as a set-top box, while keeping the TV itself offline. That does not eliminate data collection, the streaming device may have its own privacy policies, but it can reduce the number of connected systems in the home.
Why the dispute matters
The LG controversy reflects a larger shift in consumer electronics.
Televisions used to be passive display devices. Today they are networked platforms.
They run apps, gather viewing data, connect to phones, respond to voice commands, detect nearby devices and often participate in advertising ecosystems.
That transformation has created convenience. A user can stream content, cast a video, control a smart home, search by voice and receive recommendations from a single screen.
But it has also created a surveillance question.
Every connected feature may involve data. Every microphone or camera may be a potential security concern. Every advertising setting may shape what information leaves the home.
The central issue is not whether consumers should abandon smart TVs. It is whether manufacturers make data practices clear, provide meaningful opt-outs and secure devices for their full useful life.
LG’s denial may reassure customers that the company does not intentionally record ambient conversations without activation. But it does not end the debate over how smart TVs collect data, how long they store it and how easily users can control the process.
The bottom line
LG says its smart TVs do not secretly record ambient conversations or transmit household audio unless a user intentionally activates voice functionality.
The company has acknowledged that its TVs scan local networks for compatible devices and may use content-recognition features when users enable personalized ads or recommendations.
The original investigation raised serious privacy and security concerns, but its most alarming claims have not been independently verified in normal, unmodified consumer devices.
For consumers, the practical message is clear: treat a smart TV like a computer.
Review its settings. Disable features you do not use. Keep it updated. Understand what data it collects. And remember that the more connected a screen becomes, the more important it is to decide what access you are willing to give it.