LG Denies Continuous TV Eavesdropping, but webOS Privacy Questions Remain

LG’s global response is unequivocal: webOS TVs do not continuously record or transmit household conversations. According to LG, speech-to-text processing starts only when someone presses the voice or AI button, or when a supported wake word is recognized after the user has enabled that feature. Audio used to detect a wake word is processed locally; if no wake word is detected, LG says it is not converted to text, stored, or transmitted. 37

That is LG’s description of intended behavior. It does not fully settle the distinct findings reported by Gamers Nexus and collaborators in tests of retail LG OLED TVs. The most accurate reading is that there is a factual dispute over what occurred on the tested devices—not established proof that every webOS TV continuously uploads every conversation in a home.

What LG says is optional

LG says Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), voice recognition, and interest-based advertising are optional, off by default, and manageable through TV settings. It says ACR uses the TV’s internal audio processor to create a content fingerprint, rather than collecting screenshots, screen recordings, video, or voice recordings. LG also says voice-recognition results are tied to particular voice interactions and are not uploaded later when a TV reconnects after being offline. 47

LG’s privacy materials separately state that, with consent, personal information may be used to build marketing profiles and provide personalized advertising on LG services and third-party websites. 46 That means the privacy stakes are not limited to a microphone: viewing and device-related data can still be valuable for advertising and measurement.

What the investigation reportedly observed

Reporting on the September 7 investigation described tests on retail LG OLED sets that allegedly found local-network discovery, including enumeration of devices and nearby Wi-Fi information. It also reported microphone capture while the display appeared off, local audio retention while offline, plaintext voice logs, and transmission after connectivity returned. 78

One account of the testing estimated that a TV sent roughly 4 GB per month of traffic identified as ACR data. That was a measurement attributed to the investigation, not a figure LG has confirmed as a general monthly total for all TVs or users. 11

These claims matter because they are more specific than the broad question of whether a TV is “always listening.” If reproducible, they could reveal meaningful gaps between a consumer’s understanding of a voice feature and a device’s actual data flows. But the reports concern tested configurations; they should not be generalized to every model, region, firmware release, or settings combination without independent replication.

Where the accounts directly conflict

LG’s statement says non-matching wake-word audio is neither stored nor transmitted, and that voice-related records arise from specific voice interactions. 37 The investigation reports, by contrast, described speech-derived plaintext logs and audio retained locally in tests, including when a TV was offline. 78

The available material does not provide an independent, model-by-model technical adjudication of that conflict. In particular, allegations concerning microphone-toggle bypasses, long-range capture, or specific proxy-SDK/audio paths require reproducible evidence and a direct technical response tied to firmware versions and settings. They should be treated as allegations rather than settled facts.

Why “opt-in” does not end the privacy discussion

An opt-in design can reduce data collection, but it does not answer whether choices are clear, separate, and practical for a shared household device. A TV owner may accept agreements during setup, while other household members and guests may not understand that optional voice, viewing-recognition, or advertising features are active.

ACR is especially important to evaluate on its own terms. LG says it is used to identify content through audio fingerprinting and that it can be disabled. 47 Even if ACR does not capture human conversation, it can still create a detailed record of what a household watches and supports advertising-related uses. LG’s policy describes consent-based profiling and personalized ads delivered by LG or third parties. 46

Practical steps for LG TV owners

If minimizing collection is the priority, review every privacy and advertising setting rather than relying on a single toggle:

• Turn off Live Plus, LG’s ACR setting, if you do not want the TV to analyze viewing content. The menu path can vary by model, but reporting identifies it under All Settings → General → System → Additional Settings on some webOS versions. 44
• Review voice-recognition and wake-word settings; disable them if voice control is unnecessary.
• Review interest-based advertising and any viewing-information agreements separately, since LG describes these as distinct optional features. 47
• Keep the TV firmware updated and reassess settings after major updates or setup resets.

The bottom line

LG denies that webOS TVs continuously record or transmit ambient conversations, and says wake-word detection is local unless a user intentionally activates voice functionality. 37 The investigation’s reported observations raise narrower but significant questions about the behavior of particular retail units, including audio handling, local logs, network discovery, and ACR-related traffic. 711

The most useful next step is transparent, repeatable testing: LG should address the specific reported data flows for identified models and firmware, while independent researchers should verify whether the results persist under clearly documented settings. Until then, users who do not need voice features, ACR, or personalized advertising have a straightforward privacy choice: leave those optional features off.