For several days, LG has been facing intense scrutiny after investigators at the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus alleged that the brand’s smart TVs track users in more ways than most people realize, and that these efforts are a result of a lack of transparency between LG and TV-owners.
Specifically, the investigators claim that LG smart TVs collect details about devices connected to users’ Wi-Fi networks, track content watched and even transcribe ambient audio recordings — often without the users’ knowledge.
LG has broken its silence on the matter and responded to these assertions. But its reaction — while swift — hasn’t cleared the air on many of the concerns raised in the investigation by Gamers Nexus, and as a TV expert myself, even Istill have questions.
LG’s response to the smart TV controversy
If you’re curious, you can peruse LG’s statement in full to get the brand’s complete response. For our purposes, let’s run down the key points.
On the subject of voice recognition, LG has this to say:
“LG smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations. Speech-to-text processing begins only if a user activates a voice interaction through a supported wake-word feature or by pressing the voice (or AI) button on the remote control. Audio used for wake-word detection is processed locally on the TV and, if no wake word is detected, audio is not converted to text, stored, or transmitted.”
Here’s LG’s response to concerns about Automatic Content Recognition (ACR):
“Where ACR is available and enabled, ACR-related information may be used for audience segmentation and viewing or audience trend analysis. Interest-based advertising and cross-device advertising require separate user consent through the applicable advertising-related agreements … LG does not use ACR for interest-based advertising unless a user opts in to both agreements. Users can withdraw from these agreements at any time and also can turn off ACR in TV settings.”
Lastly, this passage serves as LG’s explanation for the Gamers Nexus investigators
“Smart TVs are designed to work with a variety of connected devices and services throughout the home. LG smart TVs may use device-discovery functions to recognize and communicate with compatible external devices that users connect or use with the TV … The information identified through this device-discovery function is used to support connectivity-related features and is not used for household profiling, cross-device targeting, or advertising segmentation.”
The questions LG hasn’t answered
In many ways, that there needs to be an investigation into what sort of personal information our televisions are collecting from us (and where it ultimately goes) is a massive problem to begin with. Further, that LG’s response to such an investigation does little to clear the air is even more problematic.
As someone who’s covered the TV industry for over a decade has observed the rise of internet-connected, microphone-equipped smart TVs, LG’s official response does little to address my concerns — and I’m someone who surrounds himself with this tech on a daily basis.
Here’s just a sampling of the questions I still have after reading LG’s response:
- What protections (if any) exist to safeguard the wake-word detection process so that malicious actors can’t take advantage of audio- and text-based voice records?
- If LG does not use ACR for interest-based advertising or audience trend analysis so long as the user opts out of these arrangements, are there any other applications for ACR data outside of trend analysis and targeted advertising that ACR is used for?
- What details, specifically, are collected from devices connected to the same network as an LG smart TV, and what steps can users take to ensure that this process can be avoided if they choose to do so?
Perhaps my biggestin the recently published video are not true.”
However, at no point has LG refuted the methodology and evidence on display in the video itself. The concerns raised by these investigators are refuted, but as far as I’ve seen, LG hasn’t touched the process in which Gamers Nexus gathered evidence.
In the interest of transparency, I encourage you to check out Gamers Nexus’ reaction to LG’s response, which is useful in understanding the stated position of the folks’ whose investigation launched this particular news cycle.
In the meantime, we’ll be reaching out to LG with our own questions. I hope to share its responses soon.
- Your LG TV could be tracking devices on your home Wi-Fi — here’s how to stop it
- Yes, your TV probably has a microphone in it — here’s how to turn it off
- Here’s why it’s hard to find ‘dumb TV’ in 2026 — and why you shouldn’t buy one anyway
