Sep 08, 2026 10:43:00

It has been discovered that LG smart TVs scan the local network to identify smartphones and peripherals. It has also been confirmed that the TVs can record microphone audio even when the screen is off, and that the data is uploaded after the TV is reconnected to the internet.

216,000,000 Spy TVs | The LG Smart TV Problem – YouTube

LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices – Notebookcheck News
https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-smart-TVs-caught-logging-audio-with-screen-off-and-snooping-on-local-devices.1391214.0.html

Security researchers tested commercially available LG OLED models, including the LG G5 , and confirmed that these models actively scan for devices on the local network, such as smartphones and smartwatches.

In addition to IP addresses, smart TVs also collected information such as the names, signal strength, and location of nearby Wi-Fi networks.

This data is provided to LG Ad Solutions, LG’s targeted advertising division. This division claims it can access 363 million devices in the United States alone by tracking other hardware on the same network. Given that LG has announced it has sold approximately 216 million smart TVs worldwide, researchers have suggested that there are 216 million spy TVs out there.

Furthermore, the models we investigated also utilized a technology called

Automated Content Recognition (ACR) . This technology samples audio and video from the screen to create a digital fingerprint, recording what the user is viewing.

Tests confirmed that the TV could acquire microphone audio even when the screen was powered off in standby mode. The TV continued to save the audio input locally even after being disconnected from the internet, and uploaded the saved files when the network connection was restored.

Security researchers have also identified a remote code execution vulnerability in webOS. Because the models they investigated collect information extensively by default, the researchers recommended completely disconnecting LG TVs from the internet and using external streaming devices instead.