LG TVs spying offline
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Gamers Nexus found LG TVs log audio and scan Wi-Fi even offline.
The finding affects millions of LG smart TV owners' privacy.
Background
LG smart TVs have been found to continuously collect data about viewers and their homes, even when the TV appears to be off or disconnected from the internet. This behavior was uncovered by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, working with Level1Techs and independent security researchers. The investigation tested retail LG OLED TVs and found they scan local networks, record audio via microphones, and use automatic content recognition to identify what's on screen, all for advertising purposes.
How it unfolded
- Jul 2026Gamers Nexus previously reported LG monitors automatically installing an app that collected data and showed pop-up ads, leading to LG disabling the ads after public pressure.
- Sep 7, 2026Gamers Nexus and partners release a new investigation revealing LG TVs log audio and network data even when in standby or offline.
- Sep 8, 2026Major tech outlets cover the report, and PCMag publishes a guide on how to disable LG's ACR feature (Live Plus).
Who’s saying what
- Researchers
- Gamers Nexus and partners describe the data collection as 'chilling' and demonstrate security weaknesses that could let attackers listen in.
- LG
- LG says the data collection is for understanding users better to serve more relevant ads, and executives have claimed they 'own the glass.'
Still unverified
The claim that 216 million LG TVs are affected is based on LG's statement of selling roughly 220 million smart TVs over the past decade, not confirmed to be all vulnerable. The remote-code-execution vulnerabilities were reported to LG but not publicly disclosed.