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LG responds to TV spying allegations
LG has issued a public rebuttal after Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs and independent security researchers this week raised concerns about how its smart TVs log and upload user data. The company says the coverage created "misconceptions", insisting its TVs "do not continuously record or transmit users' conversations" and that wake-word detection for its voice assistant is processed entirely on-device rather than in the cloud. The dispute matters because it touches on wider unease about smart TVs' data-collection practices and how transparently manufacturers disclose them.
LG maintains that features such as Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), voice recognition and interest-based advertising are optional and switched off by default, and that ACR identifies content via audio fingerprinting using the TV's internal processor rather than a microphone, without capturing screenshots, screen recordings or audio recordings. However, its use of the word "continuously" leaves room for ambiguity, since Gamers Nexus had shown an LG TV retaining detailed logs of ambient conversations well beyond when the assistant should have stopped listening. LG's statement also stopped short of addressing broader questions about the total volume of data collected, who it is shared with, the risk of misuse by bad actors, and criticism that its privacy settings are presented in a misleading way.
In short
- LG denies its TVs continuously record or transmit conversations.
- It says voice and ad-tracking features are optional and off by default.
- LG didn't address data-sharing, security risks or misleading privacy settings.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
LG’s account, if accurate, distinguishes content recognition from recording: ACR uses the TV’s processor to identify what is on screen, while voice wake-word detection is handled on-device. If the relevant features are optional and off by default, that supports the view that users retain meaningful control and that claims of continuous cloud transmission overstate what the TV does.
The case against
Detailed logs of ambient conversations, if retained beyond the expected listening period, raise legitimate concerns even if the TV does not continuously transmit recordings. Users may also reasonably question whether settings are clear and whether LG has adequately explained what data is collected, how long it is kept, who receives it and how it is protected.
Explained simply
Smart TVs can connect to the internet and offer services such as voice assistants and personalised adverts. Some also use Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR, which identifies what is playing so viewing data can be used for recommendations or advertising.
LG makes the TVs at the centre of this dispute. Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs and independent researchers have questioned what data the TVs log and send, while LG says its voice assistant checks for its wake word on the TV itself and that data-collection features are optional and off by default.
The issue matters because people may not know what information their TV collects or where it goes. Clear explanations of privacy settings and data use help viewers decide which connected features to use.
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