Electronics giant LG has been under fire over the past few days after a viral two-hour video report by Gamers Nexus warned that LG’s TVs surreptitiously record users’ audio, even when the screen is turned off, as well as collecting details about networked devices, location data, and wireless network information.
Since the video’s release, dozens of reaction videos have followed, with titles like “How to Stop Smart TV Spying” and “LG Isn’t the Only TV Company Spying on You,” from reputable channels such as Linus Tech Tips and RTINGS, respectively.
In the wake of the video, LG has formally denied the claims on various news networks and in a statement on its website. Titled “Understanding Privacy on LG Smart TVs,” LG unambiguously denies the central accusations of the Gamers Nexus video.
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“LG smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations. Speech-to-text processing begins only if a user activates a voice interaction through a supported wake-word feature or by pressing the voice (or AI) button on the remote control. Audio used for wake-word detection is processed locally on the TV and, if no wake word is detected, audio is not converted to text, stored, or transmitted. Voice-recognition results and related technical logs may be generated as part of processing a voice command. These records are associated with specific voice interactions and do not indicate continuous recording of conversations occurring outside an active voice recognition session.”
LG claims that, “Speech-recognition results may be used to support voice-related features but are not uploaded later when the TV is offline or when connectivity is restored.”
The company also pointed out that some of the most invasive features, like their Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature designed to learn from your viewing habits to offer better content recommendations, are optional.
But questions about LG’s integrity, as well as the wording of their statement, still remain. If they contend that “LG smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations,” does that mean they do so sporadically?
Ultimately, this controversy is another in a long-running series highlighting the need for a more honest conversation about the balance between consumer convenience and consumer privacy. It’s definitely a conversation worth having, but in the future, it would be nice if it didn’t happen after a major violation of consumer trust.