Certain LG Smart TV models can collect far more information about their owners than most people would expect, including data gathered while the screen is switched off, according to an investigation reported by the outlet Editia de Dimineata.
During testing, researchers found that some LG televisions were able to scan devices on a local network and gather information about nearby Wi-Fi networks. The investigators said the TV could detect smartphones, smartwatches, computers, printers and other equipment in range, even when those devices were never directly connected to the television itself.
Microphone kept recording in standby
The built-in microphone also raised concerns. Researchers said the LG television they tested was able to record audio even in standby mode, when the screen was not actually displaying anything.
The outlet reported an even more troubling possibility: after the television was disconnected from the internet, the audio recordings reportedly continued to be stored locally, and once the connection was restored, that data could then be uploaded to the cloud.
The authors of the investigation stressed that detecting this kind of data collection does not by itself prove that all of the information is sent on to the manufacturer. They said the purpose of some of these functions remains unclear and that, in theory, they could be used for diagnostic purposes when needed.
LG denies recording conversations
LG rejected the claim that its televisions secretly record conversations happening nearby. The company said the researchers' conclusions were inaccurate and that its TVs do not collect, record or store users' conversations. It added that voice control features are optional.
What is Automatic Content Recognition
The investigation also pointed to Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR, as a further source of potential problems. ACR analyzes fragments of audio and video from whatever is playing and creates a kind of digital fingerprint that can be used to identify exactly what a person is watching.
According to the investigators, ACR can operate at the level of the television's operating system itself. That means it is capable of recognizing not just content from Smart TV apps but also images and sound coming from other sources, including devices connected through an HDMI cable.
Automatic Content Recognition has legitimate uses in theory, such as powering content recommendations, measuring audience viewing habits or serving targeted advertising. Smart TVs, which connect to the internet to stream apps and services, have increasingly built such tracking tools into their software. But the more varied the data a television collects, the more serious the questions become about whether that collection is justified and how well the resulting information is protected.
