Overview
- A Gamers Nexus investigation published Sept. 7–8 tested retail LG OLED sets and found the TVs routinely scanned local networks and gathered device and Wi‑Fi information.
- Packet captures showed TVs enumerating phones, watches, printers and nearby SSIDs, and Automated Content Recognition (ACR) was used to fingerprint what was playing across inputs.
- Bench tests showed the sets could capture microphone audio while appearing off or in standby, store speech locally when offline, and upload those files once reconnected to the internet.
- Security researchers reported unpatched webOS flaws that can allow remote code execution and browser‑pairing attacks, and they have submitted details to LG while withholding full technical disclosure.
- Until fixes arrive experts recommend disconnecting affected TVs or disabling ACR and voice features, placing TVs on a separate guest/IoT network, installing firmware updates, and treating smart TVs like networked computers; the report follows a May Texas settlement requiring clearer consent for ACR collection.