LG denies secretly recording users as TV privacy concerns grow

What you need to know

• LG denies its smart TVs secretly record or transmit your conversations, calling recent coverage misleading.
• The firestorm started with a lengthy Gamers Nexus video alleging LG TVs capture audio while idle or offline, plus device, IP, location, and nearby Wi-Fi data.
• LG's defense rests on one distinction: listening for a wake word isn't the same as recording you. Audio without the wake word gets discarded locally, never sent to LG servers.

Recent reports that LG smart TVs can secretly record people in their homes have put the company's privacy practices under a microscope. LG is now pushing back hard, stating its TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations and that some of the recent coverage has misrepresented how its privacy features really work.

The dispute follows a lengthy Gamers Nexus video on YouTube that raised concerns about LG TVs capturing audio while idle or disconnected from the internet, as well as collecting information about networked devices, IP addresses, locations, and nearby Wi-Fi networks.

LG’s explanation hinges on the distinction between listening for a wake word and recording conversations. On supported TVs with hands-free voice control enabled, the microphone can supposedly listen locally for a wake word even when the TV is in standby. LG says audio that does not include the recognized wake word is discarded immediately and not sent to its servers. Real speech-to-text processing only starts when voice recognition is enabled.

There is also Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR, that identifies what is playing so that LG can offer services related to viewing and audience analysis. ACR uses audio fingerprinting rather than screenshots or video recordings, is optional, and requires user consent, LG says. It can also be turned off in the settings of the TV.

Does LG's wording leave wiggle room? Perhaps. Saying TVs don't "continuously" record isn't the same as saying they never do. The company’s documentation is unusually explicit, however, about things like session limits, local processing, and what happens when you decline optional agreements. You can still use streaming apps, live TV, and HDMI devices without turning on any data-driven services.

This controversy comes after a separate dispute over LG monitors, where some models were found to be installing the LG Monitor App Installer on Windows PCs and displaying pop-ups for promotional content, including McAfee ads. Microsoft intervened, and LG agreed to disable the McAfee promotion.

The latest controversy highlights the fine line between helpful smart features and invasive data harvesting. LG claims its hardware isn’t part of some hidden surveillance network, but it’s unlikely privacy advocates and hardware reviewers won’t be monitoring future webOS updates.