LG is facing fresh allegations that its smart TVs collect intrusive amounts of user and network data, with researchers claiming audio capture continued after voice recognition was triggered, even while the screen was in standby. The claims, made by the Gamers Nexus YouTube channel, follow similar accusations in July that LG monitors were installing adware without consent, adding to concerns about how much of the firm's consumer hardware feeds its advertising arm, LG Ads Solutions.

Gamers Nexus editor-in-chief Stephen Burke said the team found plaintext transcripts of captured audio, alongside IP addresses, location data and details of nearby Wi-Fi networks, and that the TV catalogued unpaired devices on local networks, including phones, routers and server management controllers. The group also alleged the TVs could keep recording audio while offline, store it locally, and transmit it once reconnected, and said it is working with security researchers on responsible disclosure of a suspected remote code execution flaw. LG has previously denied recording or storing "ambient conversations" and says voice recognition only activates data processing when a user invokes it, though critics note the firm's privacy disclosures and links to LG Ads Solutions are buried deep within lengthy product pages.