LG's denial over TV spying claims does not address the full privacy picture, experts say after report accuses it of making 216,000,000 spy TVs

Date:
Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:30:00 +0000

LG has defended the data collection that happens on its TVs, saying its standard industry practice but is that right? Earlier this week LG found itself at the center of a privacy storm over how much tracking and data collection its TVs were involved in. An investigation by Gamers Nexus found that as well as analyzing viewing habits, LG sets were also collecting voice recordings, details of networked devices, location data, and wireless network information.

That's all useful data that advertisers love of course, and that seems to be the primary reason that LG has this tracking tech built into its TVs. The reaction online was predictably one of outrage, with Redditors describing it as "extremely creepy" and vowing never to buy LG products again in the
future. LG itself has categorically said that the claims made by Gamers Nexus are "not true". LG says voice recordings are also used to process voice commands, for example, and get instantly deleted. LG goes on to state that
the network scans are to provide "smart TV functionalities" and that it's something TVs from every manufacturer do.

As for the Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature that tracks what you watch and serves up personalized recommendations (and ads) for you, LG emphasizes that this is opt-in, and that users can choose not to have ACR
data used for advertising purposes.

So is the technology LG has implemented here standard practice for the industry and nothing you need to worry about? Or do you need to start disconnecting your TV from the internet? We spoke to four privacy experts to get their opinions. If you missed the news earlier
this week, here's the full statement LG gave us in response to
the Gamer Nexus accusations.

"This is to provide LG's position regarding the claims recently raised by
the Gamers Nexus YouTube channel.

"The claims made in the recently published video are not true. LG TVs process voice data only when the voice button on the remote control is pressed and held, or when a wake word such as 'Hi LG' is recognised after the user has activated the Far-Field voice recognition feature. Other than these
instances, the TVs do not collect or record ambient conversations. If the
wake word is not recognised, no voice data is transmitted to the server; wake word detection is processed locally on the device and immediately deleted.

"Additionally, to provide smart TV functionalities, LG TVs feature the
ability to scan for and connect to nearby devices on the same network. This
is a standard function commonly available on smart TVs and smart home
devices.

"The ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) feature is provided on an opt-in
basis to deliver personalised content recommendations, services, and advertisements. If a user does not consent to the applicable optional agreement, ACR data is not used for advertising purposes."

What do privacy experts say about LG's statement?

Anna Maria Mandalari is an Associate Professor at University
College London, and co-authored a 2024 study on ACR on Samsung and
LG TVs. On the ACR aspect specifically, she says "LGs statement does not address the full privacy picture" and that the technology may go beyond what users expect. "Our research demonstrated that ACR-related communication occurred when an opted-in LG television displayed linear television and content from HDMI-connected devices," says Mandalari. "This means ACR is not confined to the televisions own applications: it can operate when the TV is effectively being used as an external display for another device, such as a laptop or gaming console."

Based on Mandalari's testing, ACR reporting to advertisers does stop when users opt out. However, she says questions need to be asked about whether LG TV owners understand what their choices are, and about how ACR data might be used beyond advertising.

The fact that sophisticated users are still startled to learn that their living room hardware maps their local network and fingerprints their media intake shows that there is still work to do. Cobun Zweifel-Keegan, Managing Director at the IAPP "I would also draw attention to the precise wording of LGs statement: it says that, without consent, ACR data is not used for advertising purposes. That is not necessarily the same as saying that no ACR data is collected or processed for any purpose," she added. "LG would need to clarify the complete data lifecycle, including what is collected, whether anything is retained, where it is transmitted and all the purposes for which it may be processed," she concluded.

That was a theme continued by Lillian Edwards, a Professor of Law,
Innovation, and Society at Newcastle University, and a leading academic in
the field of internet law. "People often consent to things they don't fully understand during a speedy setup they just want to get the thing done and up and working," says Edwards.

"In principle this might not match the very high GDPR standard of consent which is that consent should be 'freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous'. It also has to be a positive indication of consent i.e. opt-in not opt-out though LG claims that's what it does."

Edwards adds that consent should be asked for "in a manner which is clearly distinguishable from other matters, in an intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language" as per EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) rules. In Edwards' opinion, "bad PR" would be more likely to get LG to change its ways than any regulator intervention.

Is it fair to single out LG? We also spoke to
Cobun Zweifel-Keegan, a Managing Director at the IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals), a global privacy not-for-profit. "LG's response is consistent with industry practices," says Zweifel-Keegan. "However, the response focuses on its sensors and data collection practices, without addressing the advertising practices and user profiling allegations that make up a big portion of the Gamers Nexus report."

People often consent to things they don't fully understand during a speedy setup they just want to get the thing done and up and working. Lillian Edwards, a Professor of Law, Innovation, and Society at Newcastle University According to Zweifel-Keegan, the kind of data collection that LG TVs do is fairly standard across the industry as a whole, and has been for years,
though there are "big differences" in how companies handle the personal data that's scooped up. This sort of data collection extends to streaming devices as well as TVs, Zweifel-Keegan adds.

For Zweifel-Keegan, the most important issues are around user awareness and consent. "The fact that sophisticated users are still startled to learn that their living room hardware maps their local network and fingerprints their media intake shows that there is still work to do," he says. "A gap between consumer expectations and reality is exactly where consumer protection laws step in to hold companies accountable. As it happens, LG recently settled
with the Texas Attorney General and agreed to strengthen its opt-in flows."

"The question is, what is the policy solution? Should we mandate more pop-ups with clearer disclosures, more opportunities to opt out, or different things to opt out from? Should we ban certain data collection or profiling
practices? These are the questions privacy regulators wrestle with."

What do regulators say?

As for those privacy regulators, the Information
Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK was unable to comment on
LG's specific case without further investigation. But it did tell us that manufacturers "should only collect personal information that is necessary for their products and services" and be transparent about what's being collected.

"Connected TV manufacturers should build data protection into their products and offer privacy-protective settings by default," says the ICO. "Where consent is required for personal information to be used, it must be freely given, specific and informed, and people should be able to withdraw that consent as easily as they gave it, including through accessible privacy controls."

For now, it doesn't look as though LG will be changing its practices
whatever the truth is about those practices. As a consumer, your best option is to make yourself fully aware of the privacy settings on your TV and what you're opted into, and to take a close look at manufacturer privacy policies the next time you decide to upgrade your set.

Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/lgs-denial-over-tv-spying-claims-does-no t-address-the-full-privacy-picture-experts-say-after-report-accuses-it-of-maki ng-216-000-000-spy-tvs

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