LG Denies Surveillance Allegations via Smart TV

South Korean tech giant LG has issued an official response to allegations that its Smart TV devices are conducting covert surveillance on users and recording their conversations. As reported by Tom’s Hardware, this statement follows an extensive journalistic investigation by Gamers Nexus, which sparked serious discussions regarding digital security and data privacy. This is reported by news source.

It is worth noting that the previously published investigation claimed that over 216 million LG TVs worldwide have the capability to record user audio even when turned off. Furthermore, reports suggested that voice commands were stored unencrypted and that data about other devices on the home network was being collected. This situation raised valid concerns among millions of consumers regarding the security of their devices.

LG's Official Position

Company representatives strongly denied these allegations, stating that the TVs do not perform any continuous covert recording. According to LG, the transmission of voice data begins only in two cases: when the dedicated voice assistant button on the remote is pressed or when the "Hi LG" wake word is clearly spoken.

The manufacturer also explained that the voice activation feature is disabled by default and can only be enabled voluntarily by the user. The keyword recognition process is performed directly on the TV itself. This means the device does not record all surrounding conversations and send them to external servers.

Home Network and Advertising Policy

Addressing claims about Smart TV devices identifying other gadgets on the local network, LG described this as a standard feature of modern televisions. However, regarding the analysis of images from devices connected via HDMI, the company reminded all users of the relevant terms.

According to the company, analyzing images from HDMI-connected devices only occurs if the user has consented to personalized advertising and recommendations. At the same time, one of the most serious allegations circulating online—that voice commands are stored on servers unencrypted—was left unaddressed in the company's official statement.