LG TV owners may not realize what happens while the screen is off – Automated Home

An LG TV can look completely inactive when its screen goes black, yet researchers say some models may continue collecting information in the background. That possibility has raised privacy concerns for owners who assume standby means the television has stopped listening, watching, or communicating.

A September 2026 investigation involving Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs, and security researchers alleges that tested LG webOS televisions can recognize HDMI content, scan local networks, and capture microphone audio while the screen appears off.

LG disputes the most serious claims and says voice processing requires user-controlled triggers. The company’s response means the reported findings remain contested, but they have renewed questions about what smart TVs can monitor, process, or transmit when owners believe the devices are simply sitting idle.

What researchers say LG TVs collect

The investigation centers on several behaviors researchers say they observed while testing LG smart TVs. The claims include Automatic Content Recognition, local-network scanning, microphone activity during standby and voice interactions appearing in plain-text logs.

LG says its ACR system creates audio fingerprints that can identify content being viewed. When enabled, the feature can operate on supported sources including live television, LG Channels and HDMI-connected devices such as game consoles or cable boxes.

Researchers also reported that tested TVs scanned their local networks and identified information including internal IP addresses, nearby Wi-Fi network names and signal strengths, location data and other connected devices.

ACR can see beyond built-in apps

Automatic Content Recognition creates a compact digital fingerprint that can be compared with reference information to identify content being viewed. LG says its implementation uses audio fingerprinting rather than storing screenshots, video recordings or full audio recordings.

When enabled, LG says ACR can work with supported sources including live television, LG Channels and HDMI-connected devices. That means content played through an external cable box or game console can potentially be identified.

Researchers also documented extensive local-network discovery. LG confirms that its TVs can scan for compatible devices but says that device-discovery information supports connectivity and is not used for household profiling or advertising segmentation.

Why does standby still matter?

A dark television screen does not necessarily mean every internal component has powered down. Modern smart TVs often keep background services running for quick-start features, casting, voice assistants, and software updates.

That creates an important distinction between screen-off and fully disconnected. A television may appear inactive while retaining network access and keeping certain hardware ready to respond. Researchers say this is relevant because they observed microphone activity during standby on tested sets.

In their tests, researchers allegedly found that the microphone continued saving audio locally after the television lost internet connectivity. They say stored audio could later be uploaded when the connection returned, although LG disputes the characterization of ambient recording.

LG rejects continuous recording claims

LG has strongly denied that its televisions continuously log and upload user data or record ambient conversations. The company says voice data is processed only under defined conditions controlled by the user.

According to LG’s stated behavior, voice processing occurs when a user presses and holds the voice button on the remote. On supported models, it can also occur when far-field voice recognition has been enabled, and the television locally detects its configured wake word.

LG says wake-word detection happens on the device. If the wake word is not recognized, the company says voice data is not transmitted. Researchers, however, argue that their testing showed audio capture in situations where owners could reasonably believe the television was inactive.

Little-known fact: LG had previously stated on record that its TVs do not gather or retain ambient audio, a claim the new investigation’s documentation appears to directly contradict.

Network scanning is confirmed by LG

One part of the controversy has less disagreement. LG confirms that its televisions scan the local network for other devices, describing the behavior as common across smart TVs and media equipment.

Researchers say those scans can reveal information about phones, tablets, smart speakers, and other connected hardware. They argue that such inventories can help build detailed profiles of household activity when combined with viewing and advertising data.

LG also describes ACR as an opt-in feature used for personalized recommendations and advertising. The company says customers who do not consent to the relevant optional agreement will not have ACR data used for advertising purposes.

The scale could be enormous

Some coverage has used LG Ad Solutions’ global reach of 216 million LG smart TVs to illustrate the possible scale of the privacy questions. That number is an advertising-reach figure, not a confirmed count of televisions exhibiting the specific behaviors documented in the investigation.

Testing covered particular LG webOS televisions and configurations, so the findings should not automatically be applied to every LG smart TV or firmware version worldwide.

The allegations also remain disputed. Researchers say their testing revealed concerning behavior, while LG says its privacy controls and voice systems do not operate in the way the strongest allegations suggest.

Little-known fact: LG Ad Solutions says its ad-targeting reach covers roughly 49 million LG TVs and more than 363 million other connected devices in the U.S.

How owners can reduce data collection

Owners concerned about ACR can review the Live Plus setting on their LG television. On many recent webOS models, LG places it under All Settings, General, System, and Additional Settings, although the exact menu path varies by model and software version.

LG also allows users to review or withdraw optional agreements covering ACR, voice recognition and interest-based advertising.

People who do not use hands-free voice commands can disable that feature where available. On supported models, LG says a physical microphone switch can also disable the television’s built-in microphone for hands-free recognition.

Stronger privacy requires network controls

LG owners can also review User Agreements under Settings, General, About This TV, or a similar menu. Optional data-sharing and advertising agreements may provide additional controls over personalization and analytics, depending on the television model.

For households with more advanced networking equipment, placing the television on a guest or IoT VLAN can limit its ability to communicate with other devices. Router rules can also restrict outbound connections to known advertising or telemetry domains.

The strongest approach is disconnecting the television from the internet entirely. An offline LG TV can still display content from external devices, while trusted streaming hardware can provide internet-connected services separately. This sacrifices some smart features but reduces the television’s network exposure.

Smart TVs remain powerful home sensors

The LG controversy highlights a broader privacy issue affecting connected televisions. Most major smart TV brands use some combination of ACR and telemetry for recommendations, advertising, or analytics, so LG is not alone in collecting usage information.

What makes these allegations especially significant is the reported combination of HDMI recognition, network discovery, standby microphone activity, and local data storage. Together, those capabilities could provide a detailed picture of how a household uses connected technology.

TL;DR

• Researchers allege tested LG webOS televisions can recognize HDMI content, scan household networks, and capture microphone audio while the screen appears inactive.
• LG denies continuous ambient recording and says voice processing requires a pressed remote button or an enabled wake word recognized locally.
• LG confirms local network scanning and says ACR is opt-in, while researchers argue the combined data can create detailed household profiles.
• Owners can reduce exposure by disabling Live Plus, reviewing voice permissions and agreements, isolating the TV, or disconnecting it from the internet.

This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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