LG smart TVs are under scrutiny by Gamers Nexus for tracking users and collecting data, including audio, even when the devices are off. Security experts confirm these findings, warning that vulnerabilities could turn the TVs into covert listening devices. The report identifies the Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature, termed Live Plus on LG models, as the primary culprit. Users are advised to disable this feature in their TV settings to enhance privacy and security.

LG smart TVs are under scrutiny by Gamers Nexus for tracking users and collecting data, including audio, even when the devices are off. Security experts confirm these findings, warning that vulnerabilities could turn the TVs into covert listening devices. The report identifies the Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature, termed Live Plus on LG models, as the primary culprit. Users are advised to disable this feature in their TV settings to enhance privacy and security.

LG smart TVs are under scrutiny by Gamers Nexus for tracking users and collecting data, including audio, even when the devices are off. Security experts confirm these findings, warning that vulnerabilities could turn the TVs into covert listening devices. The report identifies the Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature, termed Live Plus on LG models, as the primary culprit. Users are advised to disable this feature in their TV settings to enhance privacy and security.

A latest report by the hardware review group Gamers Nexus, LG brand smart TVs are sneaking into the users' personal lives by tracking users even when they're supposedly off.

This means the smart TVs could be hacked to allow an outsider to listen to conversations in a space without the user being aware of it. In an over 2-hour-long video, the reviewers mentioned the security dangers and also consulted with various cybersecurity experts to confirm their findings.

"Beyond just the fact that we think the TV's native behavior parallels malware, the LG Smart TVs we tested also have a number of security vulnerabilities that can be exploited to convert the TVs into covert listening devices. In this investigation, we dive into the mix of LG's first-party functionality that (in our opinions) is tantamount to spying and LG's vulnerabilities and exploits that they have failed to protect against," the video mentioned.

As per the findings by Gamers Nexus, this popular TV brand eavesdrops on users' conversations even while the screens are turned off, as well as collecting nearby Wi-Fi names, signal information and device-related identifiers. The captured audio was later retrieved remotely once the TV was connected again. 

What can be done?

Gamers Nexus suggests turning off ACR on an LG TV because that data-recording software is the main danger. Users can go to Settings > General > System > Advanced Settings > Live Plus.  In the meantime, if you’d like to turn off ACR on your LG TV, head to Settings > General > System > Advanced Settings > Live Plus, WCNC mentions. 

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