From Mashable · Phil Clark · · 1m 30s
LG says its TVs are not listening to you
A two-hour video accused LG smart TVs of secretly recording audio. LG says no, but its wording leaves a gap.
In brief
A two-hour video accused LG smart TVs of secretly recording audio. LG says no, but its wording leaves a gap. LG's denial is narrow and carefully worded, so read the privacy settings yourself and turn off Automatic Content Recognition. Originally reported by Mashable.
A two-hour accusation
Gamers Nexus published a long video report claiming LG TVs record audio even with the screen off, and collect location data, network info, and details about other devices on your network.
The internet piled on
Dozens of reaction videos followed within days, including ones from Linus Tech Tips and RTINGS with titles like "LG Isn't the Only TV Company Spying on You."
“How to Stop Smart TV Spying”
LG says no
LG posted a statement called "Understanding Privacy on LG Smart TVs" and repeated the denial across news networks, rejecting the core claim outright.
“LG smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit users' conversations.”
Only after the wake word
LG says speech-to-text starts only when you trigger a wake word or press the voice button. Wake-word audio is processed on the TV, and if no wake word hits, nothing is stored or sent.
The snooping is opt-in
LG points out that Automatic Content Recognition, the feature that watches your viewing habits to tune recommendations, is optional. You can switch it off.
Read that sentence again
"Do not continuously record" is a careful phrase. It denies always-on capture without ruling out occasional capture, and that gap is why the doubt has not gone away.
“does that mean they do so sporadically?”
What matters most
LG's denial is narrow and carefully worded, so read the privacy settings yourself and turn off Automatic Content Recognition.
