LG has now officially commented on the spying allegations against its WebOS TVs, which we reported on in detail last week. The manufacturer confirms two key points from the Gamers Nexus investigation: LG TVs do indeed scan the home network for other devices, and they listen for the voice control activation word while in standby mode. However, LG explicitly denies secretly recording entire conversations in the living room.
In summary:
- LG has responded to the allegations made by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus and acknowledges two of the criticized features.
- Confirmed: Scanning the network for other devices in the home and listening for the voice command activation phrase in standby mode when voice control is active.
- Denied: continuous recording of ambient conversations. According to LG, unrecognized audio is deleted immediately and locally.
- It remains unclear whether the reported WebOS security vulnerabilities have since been patched and whether devices in the EU are configured identically to the models tested in the U.S.
- According to LG, ACR (Live Plus) remains an opt-in feature, meaning it can still be manually disabled.
The Background: What Gamers Nexus Had Alleged
The investigation by the hardware channel Gamers Nexus, supported by Level1Techs and independent security researchers, had cast serious doubt on LG: Several OLED models are said to have recorded ambient noise via the built-in microphone even while in standby mode and, in the absence of an internet connection, stored the data locally until a connection was reestablished. In addition, the TVs are said to have continuously scanned the home network for third-party devices and recorded Wi-Fi names and signal strengths. We’ve summarized all the details on this and the background on Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) in our first article on the topic.
Here’s LG’s official response to the allegations
After days of silence, LG has now issued a more detailed statement, first reported by WinFuture and the tech blog Blogspan. The statement reads, verbatim: “The televisions do not capture or record ambient conversations.” In other words, the TVs do not record conversations in the room.
What LG Confirms
LG openly admits to two of the criticized features. LG openly admits that the devices do indeed scan the local network for other devices. However, the manufacturer simply refers to this as a “standard feature” that virtually every smart TV and smart home device includes for pairing and functions such as screen mirroring. Furthermore, if you’ve activated far-field voice recognition via “Hi LG,” your TV will continuously listen for the activation word even while in standby mode. LG emphasizes that this processing takes place exclusively on the device itself and that unrecognized audio is immediately deleted rather than being sent to LG servers.
What LG Denies
LG categorically denies that it continuously records conversations in the room without cause. Voice data is processed exclusively when users actively press the microphone button on the remote control or have enabled the “Hi LG” activation themselves. Regarding Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), LG also emphasizes that the feature continues to operate on an opt-in basis: Without explicit consent, the system does not collect data for personalized recommendations or advertising.
| Allegation | Gamers Nexus claimed | LG’s Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone recordings | Recording of ambient noise even in standby mode | Disputed (processing occurs only when a button is pressed or “Hi LG” is active) |
| Listening for the activation word | Constant background listening | Confirmed, but only locally and when voice control is enabled |
| Network scan | Detection of all devices, Wi-Fi networks, and location data in the household | Confirmed, classified as a “standard smart home feature” |
| ACR / Live Plus | Tracking of viewing and usage behavior | Confirmed, but according to LG, still requires opt-in |
What the statement leaves open
Despite the more detailed response, some of the most controversial points from the Gamers Nexus investigation remain unaddressed. LG has not commented on the voice transcripts allegedly stored in plain text, nor on the vulnerabilities in WebOS reported by security researchers, which could theoretically allow the microphone to be misused even without user action. It also remains unclear whether devices in Europe and Germany are configured identically to the models examined in the U.S. For German owners of an LG TV, this is a highly relevant question.
Here’s how to protect yourself anyway
If you want to limit data collection regardless of LG’s statement, there are a few things to keep in mind. Security experts generally recommend disabling any smart TV features you don’t need and, if possible, isolating the TV’s internet connection via a separate guest or IoT network instead of sharing it with the main network. Specifically for owners of an LG TV, the following steps are also recommended:
- Completely disable voice control in the system settings, rather than just muting it with the remote control.
- Disable ACR via “System” → “Advanced Settings” → “Live Plus.”
- Install firmware updates promptly as soon as LG patches any WebOS vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
In its latest statement, LG has for the first time specifically acknowledged what Gamers Nexus had accused the manufacturer of—albeit in a significantly toned-down form: Network scanning and standby eavesdropping are indeed real, but are said to occur exclusively locally and within the scope of activated features. Whether this is enough to completely dispel the spying allegations against LG Smart TVs remains questionable as long as key questions regarding security vulnerabilities and the situation in Europe remain unanswered. For those interested in LG’s current generation of TVs beyond the debate, our report on LG’s awards at IFA 2026 provides further background on the OLED lineup.
