Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs and security researchers examined LG televisions’ ability to monitor devices on the network. An analysis conducted through Wireshark and the television software found that some televisions, including LG’s G5 OLED model, could scan devices on the same local network. Gamers Nexus Editor-in-Chief Steve Burke said the G5 detected dozens of unrelated devices on the network, including smartwatches and phones.
According to the research, the televisions can identify the IP address, geographic location, names and signal strengths of nearby Wi-Fi networks, channel numbers, and the internal IP addresses of other devices even if they are not connected to the network. It is unknown whether this function is used for purposes such as diagnostics in addition to advertising, and whether all of the information is sent to LG. LG’s advertising company LG Ad Solutions states that it can access 363 million “addressable secondary devices” in the United States.
LG Electronics said compatible devices on the same network can be scanned for connection, content sharing and smart home functions, and that this is a common feature in smart televisions and home devices. The company stated that if the television’s “Far-Field” feature is enabled in advance, it listens only for the wake word in standby mode; if the word is not detected, the audio is processed on the television, immediately deleted and not sent to LG servers. LG also maintained that it does not collect, record or transmit ambient conversations unless the user knowingly enables the voice function.
The video also showed that the television could record ambient sound while it was not connected to the internet. Burke said the audio could be stored locally in plain-text form and could be sent to LG if the television reconnected to the internet. It was also stated that using the television solely as a monitor might not disable all functions. It was emphasized that the issue does not concern LG alone, as devices may automatically connect to open nearby Wi-Fi networks. The findings heightened privacy concerns that even smart televisions not connected to the internet may monitor user activity.
Why it matters
These findings require users who view the television solely as a display to reassess the device’s role within the home network. The fact that some functions continue even when the internet connection is cut off shows that being offline is not automatically a safeguard when it comes to monitoring and audio data. Particularly for those who connect phones, smartwatches and other home devices to the same network, the issue concerns the limits of data access between devices rather than the behavior of a single television. The fundamental question that remains is for what purposes the scanned information is processed and how much of it reaches LG; although the company has explained its compatibility and functionality justifications, the claim that audio may be sent after reconnection leaves the scope of this safeguard unclear.