this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2026
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/51634640

A new Gamers Nexus investigation found a retail LG TV actively scanning the local network for phones, laptops, smartwatches and other connected devices, while also capturing microphone audio when the screen appeared to be in standby. The investigation found voice data being stored locally even after the TV was disconnected from the network, with the queued data uploaded once connectivity returned. Researchers also uncovered webOS vulnerabilities that could potentially turn the television into a remotely controlled surveillance device. The really unsettling part isn't just the advertising angle. It's the fact that a consumer television can sit inside your trusted network, enumerate other devices, access a microphone, store collected data locally and communicate with external infrastructure. Put that same device in a corporate office, hospital, hotel or conference room and the security implications become considerably more serious. I went through the investigation in detail, including the network scanning, microphone behavior, ACR, webOS attack surface, offline data collection and practical mitigations

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[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 151 points 3 days ago (7 children)

Don't connect TVs to your network.

[–] yaroto98@lemmy.world 92 points 3 days ago (2 children)

And according to the article the data collection runs even if it's disconnected. So, don't ever connect it to the network. As soon as you do everything gets uploaded.

[–] BurgerBaron@quokk.au 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Could I burn a hole through a WiFi chip with a soldering iron?

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] BurgerBaron@quokk.au 5 points 2 days ago

Oops I meant to reply to the person saying Gamer's Nexus found LG televisions connect without permission to any insecure Wi-Fi networks within range in your neighbourhood. Otherwise it'd seem a bit extreme to burn a hole through it :p

My TV is too old for this to matter yet but I'd research a way to physically disable network hardware before buying any specific model next time.

[–] baines@lemmy.cafe 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (4 children)

how is it collecting and sending data if not connected to a network?

i read the article, it still needs a connection

[–] WereCat@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

It’s not sending them, just collecting them. Then it sends them the moment you connect. They even transcribe speech to text via mic, according to GN they send about 4GB/month… IN TEXT FILES!

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

How much storage could it possibly have?

[–] willington@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The person you are replying to said that the smart TV collects spy data onto a hard drive even when it's not connected.

Then once the TV acquires a connection, it dumps the entire drive worth of spy data to the mothership.

The danger here is obvious, I think.

[–] baines@lemmy.cafe 2 points 2 days ago

i just misread their post originally

[–] Cheebus@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You know how some people rent their wifi routers?

That’s the backbone

[–] baines@lemmy.cafe 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

if it’s connecting without your explicit permission each time how us that not a worm

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Because it is done by a wealthy corporation. See also: rootkits from Sony.

[–] baines@lemmy.cafe 2 points 2 days ago

that shit should have been a jail term

but i stopped buying sony over it

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 0 points 3 days ago

You give it explicit permission when you let it on your LAN without any firewall rules or DNS filtering.

[–] UnLocoPoco@lemmy.world 23 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This would've worked just a few years back but due to shitty "age verification" laws, even TV manufacturers willl force users to create an account the very least for the TV to even start up. They may also implement an always-online model and they'll justify that it's necessary to monitor users for "age verification purposes". ATP better to get a good monitor and use it as TV cuz cable or satellite boxes are either way gonna be provided by the network companies so that's there

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This would’ve worked just a few years back but due to shitty “age verification” laws, even TV manufacturers willl force users to create an account the very least for the TV to even start up.

Surely only for "smart" features but without enabling any of that shit, you shouldn't get any age verification prompt.

[–] thejml@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago

I could see them doing it anyway as OTA broadcasts include rating data.

That said, if it's a family TV, you're never going to put everyone on it, just the oldest one anyway.

[–] greenbit@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Although usb stick firmware updating is super annoying

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The TV should just act as a TV with input ports. Why update the firmware?

[–] greenbit@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I've had to update for ALLM support and such. So feature support. I don't care for the TV's OS updates

[–] WereCat@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

So I should connect it to someone elses network?

[–] melfie@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 days ago

Works for now, but my fear is when that may not broadly be the case.

[–] lIlIlIlIl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 days ago

This is the only correct answer. Discussion over.

[–] PixeIOrange@lemmy.world 0 points 3 days ago

I wonder if any of such devices use nbiot or alike...