LG Smart TVs Caught Secretly Recording Audio in Standby Mode to Feed Ad Networks

Independent security researchers tested retail LG OLED models and discovered the TVs continuously sweep local networks to identify secondary devices like phones and smartwatches. This surveillance pool feeds directly into LG Ad Solutions, giving the advertising division access to 363M secondary addressable devices in the US alone. Bench tests revealed the TVs capture clean microphone audio while resting in standby mode. When disconnected from the network, the hardware simply saves the voice files locally and uploads them the second ethernet access is restored. The team also documented remote code execution vulnerabilities in webOS and recommended users completely disconnect their LG TVs from the internet.