Report: Your LG Smart TV May Keep Listening Even When It's Turned Off

A new investigation from the independent tech outlet Gamers Nexus reports that LG smart TVs may continue communicating with external servers even after you power them down. According to the findings, the TVs use automatic content recognition to capture screen snapshots and audio bytes, and their built-in microphones can record and transcribe conversations happening in the room. That data reportedly makes its way to LG Ad Solutions, the company’s advertising arm, and researchers say they found plain-text transcripts of those conversations captured whether the TV was on or off.

BlazeTV host Pat Gray highlighted the report on“Pat Gray Unleashed”and offered a warning that goes beyond one brand. He noted that adding a streaming box like an Apple TV doesn’t protect your privacy if the LG television itself is still connected to the internet. His advice was direct: unplug the ethernet cable and tell the TV to forget your Wi-Fi information completely. For folks who own smart TVs or any always-on connected device, the report raises an uncomfortable question about what happens in our living rooms and whether opting out is even possible.

Some of this comes down to settings you can change today, and some of it may be baked into how these devices are built. Either way, it’s a good reminder to walk through your home and take stock of what’s connected and what it’s collecting. Do you plan to check your smart TV’s privacy settings after hearing this? Let us know in the comments.