LG has refuted allegations that its smart TVs listen to user conversations even when in standby mode. The South Korean company classified these reports as false, clarifying that the devices only process audio when the user activates voice functionalities.
In a statement directed at Tom's Hardware, LG detailed two circumstances under which voice commands can be processed by the TVs: when the microphone button on the remote control is held down or when the device recognizes the specific phrase "Hi LG" after the user enables recognition features. The company emphasized that outside of these moments, the TVs do not record or log ambient dialogues.
However, the manufacturer confirmed that the devices monitor audio to detect the activation word. During standby mode, the TV searches for this activation word, but the sound used in this process is processed internally by the device itself. If the command is not identified, it is immediately discarded and not sent to servers.
This declaration from LG comes in response to an investigation conducted by the YouTube channels Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs, with the collaboration of cybersecurity experts. The study, presented in a video over two hours long, pointed to potential data issues in LG TVs.
The researchers reported that tests conducted on the devices revealed active telemetry routines even when the TVs were disconnected from the internet or in standby mode. Among the observed behaviors, the team also found Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaws, which could allow access to audio recordings stored on the devices. The details of this vulnerability were forwarded to LG.
The company did not entirely dispute the collection methods pointed out in the investigation, such as the ability to identify other equipment connected to the same network. LG justified that this functionality is essential to support connectivity features, content sharing, and integration with smart home systems, a practice considered common in other connected electronics.
Another point raised was ACR (Automatic Content Recognition), used to provide personalized suggestions for content, advertising, and services. In this regard, LG assures that this feature is only activated with the explicit consent of the user (opt-in). The company stated that if the user does not agree to the relevant optional agreement, the data generated by ACR will not be used for advertising purposes.