On September 12, LG published a lengthy statement answering common questions about privacy on its smart TVs. The South Korean company explains when its TVs process voice, how they identify what you’re watching, and who that data may be shared with. Its core message: none of these features switch on without the owner’s consent.
LG says the statement responds to recent media coverage that may have created misconceptions about how its TVs work. Earlier in September, researchers reported that LG smart TVs scan home networks and that the webOS platform is vulnerable to covert audio recording.
The company then denied the allegations of spying, briefly stating that its TVs don’t record conversations in the room. The new statement goes much further. Beyond voice features, it covers content recognition, device discovery on home networks, data sharing with partners, and security updates.
LG’s four privacy principles
LG frames its approach to data protection around four principles:
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- Transparency — explaining how TV features work and how related data may be used;
- User choice — giving people meaningful control over optional features and services;
- Informed consent — keeping consent settings clear and manageable;
- Continuous improvement — continuing to strengthen privacy controls and transparency.
These principles follow the Privacy by Design approach. According to LG, privacy is considered at every stage of a product’s life, from planning and development through testing, deployment, and ongoing operation. The company says it regularly reviews how personal data is collected, used, stored, and deleted, partly to stay compliant with privacy laws.
At the same time, LG points out that a modern smart TV does far more than display content. Voice control, recommendations, connected-device features, and personalized services all need to process some information to work, as do most connected technologies.
When the TV listens
Voice recognition on LG TVs is off by default. To use it, owners must accept the Voice Information Agreement and then start each voice interaction themselves. There are two ways to do that:
- press the microphone button (or the AI button) on the remote;
- say the wake word, if Hands-free Voice Control is enabled on a supported model.
In hands-free mode, the TV in standby listens only for the wake word. That check happens locally, without contacting any servers. If no wake word is detected, the audio is deleted right away. It isn’t converted to text, stored, or sent to LG. Transcription only starts after the wake word or a button press.
Once activated, the TV opens a voice session with a strict time limit:
- if the user says nothing, the session closes after roughly 10 seconds;
- if they speak, it ends once the system detects they’ve finished;
- either way, a session lasts no longer than about 18 seconds.
When the session ends, the TV stops collecting audio. LG acknowledges that background sounds or nearby speech can sometimes end up in the recognition results, and that processing a command generates technical logs. However, the company says these records relate only to specific voice requests. They don’t mean the TV is constantly listening to, recording, or storing conversations in the home.
LG has addressed other voices near the TV before. In July, the company updated its terms to require owners to warn guests that their conversations may be recorded for AI training.
LG also says speech-recognition results aren’t queued up while the TV is offline or uploaded later once the connection is back. On some models, a hardware switch turns off the built-in microphone. Hands-free control then stops working. Voice commands remain available only through the remote’s microphone, and only if LG Voice Recognition is enabled and the owner presses the button.
How content recognition works
Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) identifies what’s playing on the TV. It is also optional and off by default. To turn it on, users must accept LG’s Viewing Information Agreement, which explains how ACR works.
According to LG, ACR identifies content by its sound. The TV’s internal audio processor, not a speaker, creates a digital fingerprint of what’s on screen. The feature does not collect or store:
- screenshots, screen images, or screen recordings;
- video recordings;
- voice recordings or any other audio recordings.
ACR works only with supported sources: Live TV, HDMI-connected devices, and LG Channels. It doesn’t run inside third-party streaming apps from LG Apps, such as Netflix or YouTube. Alongside fingerprints, LG may process device information, the content source, network details, and consent settings. In regions where ACR isn’t offered, none of this data is collected.
Data gathered through ACR can be used to sort viewers into groups (audience segmentation) and analyze viewing trends. Interest-based ads, including across a user’s other devices, require a second, separate agreement: the Interest-Based Cross Device Advertising Agreement. LG says it doesn’t use ACR for such ads unless a user has opted in to both.
The Viewing Information Agreement may also be needed for some voice commands. If a user says “Go to channel 11,” for example, the system checks whether the TV is on Live TV or an HDMI input before carrying out the request.
Device discovery and Wi-Fi data
To work with other gear on the home network, LG TVs use a device-discovery feature. It helps recognize, connect, and control set-top boxes, DVD players, game consoles, and smart home (IoT) devices. LG insists this information is used only to make those connections work. It isn’t used for household profiling, cross-device targeting, or ad segmentation.
Separately, the TV may process information about nearby Wi-Fi access points and their signal strength. In markets where ACR is available and enabled, this helps estimate the TV’s approximate location, but only after the relevant agreements are accepted. LG stresses that these are three distinct features with different purposes:
- device discovery — connecting external devices;
- Wi-Fi data — estimating the TV’s approximate location for ACR;
- ACR — identifying content from supported sources.
What owners can switch off
Voice recognition, ACR, and interest-based advertising are all opt-in, and each requires its own agreement. Users can review these settings, change them, or withdraw consent at any time from the TV menu.
Declining the optional agreements, LG says, doesn’t take away core smart TV features. Depending on the market, these keep working without them:
- streaming apps;
- Live TV;
- HDMI-connected devices;
- software updates and other essential features.
Users can also access, change, or request deletion of their personal data under applicable privacy laws and LG’s privacy policies. In some regions and services, certain viewing and voice data can be managed directly in the TV settings.
Who gets the data
Some smart TV features rely on specialized service providers and LG partners. Depending on the feature and the agreements accepted, they may process data for voice and content recognition, measurement, advertising, and related services.
Depending on the market and user choices, viewing data collected through ACR may be shared with LG Ad Solutions, a majority-owned LG affiliate. It uses that data for audience segmentation and viewing trend analysis. With separate consent, it also uses it for interest-based and cross-device advertising. According to LG, voice audio and ambient audio are not passed to LG Ad Solutions for its advertising services.
In some markets, sharing ACR data may count as a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information under privacy law. Users there can exercise their opt-out rights, including by submitting a “Do Not Sell” request. Once they do, turn off ACR, or withdraw consent, ACR data collection stops.
LG keeps information about HDMI-connected devices separate from device-discovery data. It is used for audience segmentation or other advertising purposes only if the user has separately accepted the relevant advertising agreements.
Security and updates
LG admits that no connected device is ever completely immune to vulnerabilities. That’s why TV security needs ongoing monitoring, testing, and improvement throughout a product’s life. To that end, the company runs a Bug Bounty program and works with outside security researchers. LG reviews reported issues, assesses the risk to users, and ships fixes or software updates where needed.
LG currently provides security updates for eligible models for up to five years from the initial release of the relevant webOS platform version, subject to its support policies. The company advises owners to keep their TV software up-to-date and install security patches as soon as they’re available.
LG closes by pledging to keep strengthening privacy protections, simplifying privacy controls, and making its TVs more transparent.
