LG TVs Reportedly Collect User Data Even Without an Internet Connection

How would you feel , if you get to know that the smart TV at your home has been constantly spying on you, recording everything even when it is on an offline or standby mode.

Yes, you would be shocked.

Like millions of other users of feeling since the information broke out.

According to a new report by Gamers Nexus, YouTube Channel, LG smart TVs are reportedly logging and uploading data about their owners and homes almost constantly, even when the TVs are offline or in standby mode.

The company’s TVs scan nearby Wi-Fi devices, record audio through their microphones, and use audio and video to figure out what you are watching, even across different inputs.

Gamers Nexus alongwith Level1Techs, another YouTube channel, alongwith independent security researchers collaborated together for an investigation.

This probe involved the testing of LG OLEDs.

According to the report, LG smart TVs may be collecting much more information than users realize. Tests showed that the TVs could scan the local network to find nearby devices, such as phones and smartwatches. They also collected information about the TV’s location and nearby WiFi networks and sent this data to LG Ad Solutions.

More concerningly, the TVs could also record audio through their built-in microphones while in standby mode. The recording could continue even after the TV was disconnected from the internet. In that case, the audio was saved on the TV and could be uploaded later when the internet connection came back.

The TVs also use a technology called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). This technology analyzes audio and video to determine what people are watching. It can track content viewed through the TV’s built-in apps as well as devices connected through HDMI and other ports.

However, LG is not the only company using this technology. A recent video from RTINGS explains that ACR is used by many major smart TV manufacturers to track what users watch.