LG Smart TVs Map Home Networks and Record Audio in Standby
An investigation reveals LG devices capture microphone audio while screens are off and track secondary hardware on home networks to fuel advertising.
LG smart TVs are engaging in extensive data collection that includes mapping home networks and recording audio while in standby mode. An investigation by Gamers Nexus, in collaboration with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, found that the devices behave in ways that mirror malware to feed the company's advertising ecosystem.
According to the findings, LG smart TVs continuously scan local area networks (LAN) to identify and map unrelated hardware. This process captures internal IP addresses, neighboring Wi-Fi network names, signal strengths, and location data from secondary devices such as smartphones and smartwatches. Furthermore, tests demonstrated that the TVs can capture clean microphone audio while the screen is off. If the device is disconnected from the internet during this period, the audio is stored locally and automatically uploaded once connectivity is restored.
The Advertising Engine
This data collection is tied to LG's broader strategy of user profiling. The company utilizes Automated Content Recognition (ACR) to fingerprint on-screen audio and video, allowing it to log specific viewing habits. This information, combined with the newly discovered network and audio logging, feeds into LG Ad Solutions, the company's targeted advertising arm.
The scale of this operation is significant. LG Ad Solutions claims access to 363 million secondary addressable devices in the U.S. alone by tracking hardware on the same network as the TV. This occurs against a backdrop of approximately 216 million smart TV sales globally.
Security and Privacy Implications
The ability of a consumer appliance to perform unauthorized network mapping and audio surveillance represents a severe breach of user privacy. By identifying every device connected to a home router, LG creates a detailed map of a user's digital environment without explicit consent for such granular tracking. The discovery that microphones remain active and recording while the TV appears to be off adds a layer of surveillance that extends beyond traditional viewing habits into the private lives of users.
What's Next
Researchers have identified vulnerabilities in webOS that can potentially convert these televisions into listening devices. Given the combination of remote vulnerabilities and aggressive data harvesting, security experts now recommend that users disconnect their LG smart TVs from the internet entirely to ensure privacy. Users may want to review their ACR settings or utilize external streaming devices to bypass the integrated webOS environment while the industry awaits a formal response from LG regarding these surveillance practices.