LG smart TVs were caught continuously mapping home networks, logging voice audio while powered off, and harvesting local device data.

Key evidence

• Several reports describe controlled tests in which some LG webOS televisions scanned local networks and identified nearby connected devices.
• Multiple reports say researchers captured microphone audio while the television screen appeared off, but they describe standby mode rather than a fully powered-down set.
• The supplied results are largely derivative reports published within the past day and do not include the underlying investigation, LG’s technical response, or independent primary evidence establishing the behavior across all LG smart TVs.

Detailed analysis

Recent reports describe controlled testing of certain LG smart TVs, including models running webOS, in which the television continued scanning the local network and identified nearby devices such as phones, smartwatches, printers and other connected equipment. Several accounts also say researchers captured clear microphone audio while the screen appeared off and that collected information could be transmitted after the television reconnected to the internet. (SOURCES_1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) The wording of the claim overstates what those reports establish. “Powered off” ordinarily means the device has been shut down rather than placed in standby. The source descriptions consistently refer to standby mode or a screen that appeared powered down, not a fully disconnected television. One report says the behavior persisted after an Ethernet cable was removed, but that does not by itself show that the television had no power, no wireless connection, or no ability to store data locally. (SOURCES_1, 2, 3, 8, 9) The reports also differ in how they characterize the data collection. They describe network discovery and, in some accounts, the use of device information for advertising or profiling. But the supplied material does not independently document that every LG smart TV continuously maps home networks, nor does it establish the full contents, frequency or purpose of all data allegedly harvested. The reporting appears to trace back to a recent investigation and is repeated across several secondary publications, rather than being supported here by LG technical documentation, packet captures, a regulatory finding or an independently published test report. (SOURCES_1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10) The strongest supported conclusion is narrower: testing reportedly showed that at least some LG webOS televisions could scan local devices and capture room audio while in standby, with data potentially sent later. That is materially different from saying LG TVs were caught recording while fully powered off and continuously harvesting all local-device data.

Sources

• 'It's extremely creepy': LG TVs collect far more data on you than you'd expect, says new report, including logging microphone audio while on standby and detecting your wireless devices including phones and smartwatches — and users are furious | TechRadar
• LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices - Notebookcheck News
• LG Smart TVs Caught Scanning Networks and Logging Audio in Standby | Cryptika Cybersecurity
• LG Smart TVs Caught Snooping on Wi-Fi Networks and Audio in Standby Mode - Time News
• LG Smart TVs Caught Recording Audio in Standby and Scanning Your Network
• LG Smart TVs Map Home Networks and Record Audio in Standby Mode - Time News
• LG Smart TV Spying: What 216M TVs Send Home (and the Fix) | Secure in Seconds
• LG Smart TVs Caught Listening With the Screen Off and Snooping Around Your Wi-Fi