LG Smart TVs Scan Homes and Capture Audio, Researchers Say

Automatic content recognition, or ACR, allows smart-TV makers to identify programming and other material shown on screen, creating viewing profiles valuable to advertisers. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement with LG on May 11, 2026, requiring informed consent before viewing data is collected and a clear way to opt out. The announcement listed no financial penalty, but the agreement put LG’s data practices under renewed scrutiny.

Gamers Nexus released a 135-minute investigation on Sept. 6 alleging that LG webOS televisions scanned local devices and buffered microphone audio while in standby or disconnected from Ethernet, uploading stored data after reconnecting. Researchers also described remote-code-execution flaws undergoing responsible disclosure. Separately, security firm Spur found residential-proxy SDKs in more than 42% of apps in LG’s webOS store, potentially routing third-party traffic through household connections. LG has said its televisions do not collect, record or store ambient conversations.