Recently, a viral video claimed that LG smart TVs were «spying» on their viewers, prompting LG to deny these allegations. The researchers behind the video, GamersNexus, raised enough red flags to catch the attention of anyone concerned about digital privacy. However, despite the recent buzz, this issue isn’t new to the tech world.
The real problem here is that LG certainly isn’t the only TV manufacturer engaging in these practices. Every few years, privacy and security settings from brands like Roku, Samsung, and others come under scrutiny, while most companies try to keep a low profile.
Given this context, let’s examine what’s really happening—from built-in microphones to a feature called automatic content recognition—so you can decide for yourself whether these developments are worth worrying about.
See also: Just Got a New TV or Streamer? You Need to Change These Privacy Settings
Is my TV listening to me?
A key finding from GamersNexus’s investigation was that LG TVs’ microphones were «always listening.» LG counters that its voice and other features are disabled by default and require user opt-in, which still isn’t ideal, as it shifts potential blame back to the consumer, almost as if to say, «See, they let us listen in!»
The researchers pointed out that the TV could be hacked, as they did in their study, allowing someone to eavesdrop. LG argues that their TVs, when used normally, aren’t doing anything malicious. The researchers claim that third parties could manipulate the TVs to spy on users. While both sides have valid points, the truth lies somewhere in between.
All voice-activated technology must listen continuously to function. They’re essentially waiting for a «wake word»—like when a dog hears «walkies» in a conversation. The TV, or any voice-activated smart device, listens for the specific word or phrase that «wakes» it up, so it knows to process whatever comes next.
The processing required for a device to constantly listen to random questions would be enormous, not to mention the intelligence needed to distinguish between conversations you want to have with it and other random conversations and sounds.
This processing (to determine what constitutes a wake word and what doesn’t) happens within the device itself. It has to be this way for the device to be responsive. So both sides are correct: yes, the TV is «always listening,» but from LG’s perspective, it’s only listening for specific words, so what’s the problem?
An additional complication is automatic content recognition, which I’ll address in the next section.
Could the TV’s microphones be used for more malicious purposes? Absolutely, but again, this applies to any device with a microphone and internet connection. If you really want to lose sleep, explore how poor the security is on these and other devices. Webcams, security cameras, and even routers have all been hacked due to mediocre security measures.
Does LG need to improve their security, given that these researchers were able to hack a TV easily? Sure, but so do most other companies. If it seems like I’m defending LG, trust me, I’m not. My viewpoint isn’t «but LG isn’t that bad»; it’s that «they’re all bad—broaden your focus.»
What is automatic content recognition (ACR)?
Ty Pendlebury/CNETACR uses snippets of video or, in some cases like LG, audio to determine what you’re watching. This short clip is compared to a database of known content to figure out if you’re watching Deadliest Catch, Love Island, a video game, or any other content. They use this for «audience segmentation and viewing or audience trend analysis,» and if you enable another opt-in agreement, they’ll also use it for «personalized, interest-based advertisements.» It was LG’s combination of both ACR and built-in microphones that GamersNexus was able to exploit in their hack video.
LG’s focus (and, again, most other companies do this too) on these features being «opt-in» could be a bit disingenuous. How many people just agree to everything during the excitement of setting up a new device? How many of you read the fine print in everything you click on?
We all know the answer to that. One of the only ways to minimize your TV’s tracking is to dig through your TV’s many settings and disable anything that sounds like advertising or tracking. Somewhat ironically, Google can be a help here if you’re unsure about the wording or what a feature does.
Sarah Lord/CNETIt’s worth noting that ACR is the next step in TV companies being able to tell what you’re watching. Previously, they only knew what you watched if you used the built-in apps (for the most part). Now everything, including over-the-air broadcasts and anything connected via HDMI, including media streamers and game consoles, can theoretically be identified and used to serve you ads, track behavior, and so on.
This is, understandably, even more annoying because it means the TV can be «watching» you regardless of what you’re watching on it. Since these are also snippets of audio, it’s another aspect that raises privacy concerns. It’s worth keeping in mind that TVs are still relatively cheap because companies can potentially make more money selling you ads.
What can you do?
We have a comprehensive guide to make your TV dumb, but I hate to be the bearer of bad news: This is only a tiny piece of the problem pie. You can’t eliminate this ever-present tracking, only mitigate it. If you’re worried about your TV tracking what you’re watching, that’s probably the least invasive device tracking you. Your phone and your web browser know vastly more about you. Your internet and cell providers, the websites you visit, all can and often do track you as well. The diligence needed to navigate the modern connected world stealthily is somewhere between a hobby and a part-time job. Good luck.
Peter Finch/Getty ImagesSure, you can leave your TV offline, but if you still want streaming services, you’ll need some sort of media streamer. The most popular, Roku, sells everything possible about you. If you think Google and Amazon don’t gobble up everything they can, too, I have a bridge to sell you. Apple TV is the best for this, but keep in mind every streaming service on the device is tracking you as well.
Which is to say, the horse has left the barn on this tracking thing. The horse can’t even see the barn. The damn barn is a dot to that horse. Far too many people are making far too much money to roll any of this back. So mitigate whatever makes you feel comfortable, but if you want to use the internet in the modern age, this is the cost. Sorry. Don’t shoot the messenger. Buy DVDs or Blu-ray, and get a dumb TV, I guess.
