YouTuber claims LG TVs spy on users even when turned off

A recent investigation by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, in collaboration with Level1Techs and cybersecurity researchers, alleges that LG smart TVs are collecting extensive user data and potentially functioning as covert listening devices. The report highlights that LG’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology and advertising platform, LG Ad Solutions, track user activity, local network devices, and geographic locations. The researchers demonstrated how software vulnerabilities could be exploited to record audio via the TV's microphones, even when the device is in standby mode. Furthermore, the investigation points to discrepancies in LG's data collection claims, noting that the company tracks hundreds of millions of secondary devices. While LG has faced previous criticism regarding intrusive advertising, these new findings raise significant concerns about privacy, data harvesting, and the security of connected home appliances, prompting calls for better transparency and protection for consumers using smart television technology.