Researchers say LG smart TVs transcribe room conversations, even in standby. LG disagrees

An investigation published in early September claims that some LG smart TVs keep text transcripts of what people say in the room, record audio while seemingly switched off, and scan the home network. LG has pushed back, but critics say its response leaves the central questions unanswered.

What the researchers found

The investigation was led by Gamers Nexus with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, who examined retail LG OLED televisions including a 2025 G5 model. According to their findings, as reported by Al Jazeera, Malwarebytes and others:

• After the voice assistant’s wake word, the TV kept listening for 10 to 15 seconds of continued speech, and sometimes minutes.
• Everything said during that window was transcribed to a plaintext log stored on the TV.
• The TV appeared to record audio while in standby, store the files locally, and upload them to LG’s servers once the network connection came back.
• The sets were also observed scanning the home network.

Malwarebytes also warned that flaws in how the TV handles audio could let attackers listen in.

LG’s response

LG said that wake-word detection happens locally on the TV, and that features such as Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), voice recognition and interest-based advertising are optional.

Critics said the statement did not address how much data LG collects, who it is shared with, how bad actors might exploit the features, or what they described as the misleading way privacy options are presented to owners.

Why it matters

Smart TVs are one of the most data-hungry devices in the home. Manufacturers increasingly make money after the sale, through advertising and viewing data, which gives them a financial reason to collect more. Many owners never touch the privacy settings, which are often scattered across several menus.

The findings concern specific LG models tested by the researchers. But the underlying features, voice assistants, ACR and ad personalisation, are common across the industry.

Want to lock yours down? Follow our step-by-step guide to smart TV privacy settings.