LG Smart TVs found uploading ~4GB of ACR data monthly and scanning every device on your network
ssh4net · x · 2026-09-08
Independent testing of LG smart TVs revealed data collection far beyond the company's public claims:
- Continuous LAN scanning: one TV identified 38 unrelated devices — phones, smartwatches, printers, thermostats belonging to people not involved in the test — and sent device names, signal strengths, and location data to LG Ad Solutions.
- ACR fingerprinting: Automatic Content Recognition runs on everything on screen, including HDMI inputs, so laptops, consoles, and work monitors connected to the TV get fingerprinted; roughly 4GB of ACR-related data per TV per month.
- Speech stored in plaintext logs: LG publicly stated its TVs "do not collect, record, or store ambient conversations," but Gamers Nexus found speech converted to plain text in on-device logs, the microphone staying open 10–15 seconds after talking, audio captured in standby, and data hoarded offline until reconnection.
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