Key Takeaways

  • Gamers Nexus released a two-hour investigation alleging that LG Smart TVs function like spyware, scanning local networks for connected smart devices.
  • Steve Burke found that test units recorded room audio even when disconnected from the home network, storing transcripts locally in plain text.
  • Disconnected sets bypassed local network cutoffs by searching for and connecting to neighborhood public Wi-Fi hotspots.
  • LG denied continuous recording, claiming background speech is only captured during active voice query sessions.
  • John Coogan pointed out that LG operates an ad product linked to Meta, meaning data collection tools exist even if features remain officially unannounced.

Offline Does Not Mean Inactive

The common assumption is simple: pull the cable or drop the Wi-Fi connection, and a consumer screen goes silent. Steve Burke's two-hour investigation for Gamers Nexus showed the opposite. Test units continued capturing room audio after researchers unplugged them from the primary network.

Coogan summarized the findings plainly: “Last month, Gamers Nexus, they put out this two-hour YouTube video showing that LG TVs are like aggressively using spyware effectively. That's the allegation.”

The storage method raised further alarms. Burke reported that the television stored speech transcripts locally in unencrypted plain text. If the unit ever reconnected to the internet, those logs stood ready for outbound transmission. Disconnecting from home Wi-Fi did not even keep the device quiet for long. The hardware scanned for and joined neighborhood public Wi-Fi hotspots to reach the web without the owner's knowledge.

“Even when the TV wasn't online, the LG TV they tested was able to record sound around it,” Coogan noted. “We were even able to capture microphone audio while the TV was unplugged from the network.”

The Ad Product Behind the Screen

LG responded swiftly to the report, pushing back against claims of covert surveillance. The company stated that it does not engage in continuous conversation recording, arguing that ambient background speech is logged only during active voice queries.

Coogan remained skeptical of official denials when product incentives point toward data capture. Consumer electronics manufacturers sell hardware at thin margins, then recoup costs through advertising partnerships and targeted user profiles.

“They say they're not, but they are listening,” Coogan said. “They have an ads product and it can connect to Meta. So like we're we're like the technology exists, but they haven't turned it on, I think, is like the claim.”

Burke's reporting highlighted that the television also scans local networks to map other connected smart devices in the building. When a device builds an inventory of nearby hardware while logging plain text conversation transcripts, the boundary between an entertainment display and a telemetry probe disappears.

The Security Risk in the Boardroom

Startups routinely mount consumer screens in conference rooms to save cash. Commercial office displays cost three times as much, making a discounted 65-inch consumer panel look like an easy purchase. That financial shortcut creates a serious operational risk.

Founders hold sensitive conversations in front of these screens every single day. They discuss runway, acquisition offers, engineering roadmaps, and personnel disputes. If a consumer TV records background audio, writes transcripts to local flash storage, and hunts for open public Wi-Fi signals to sync data, it acts as an unmonitored listening post inside private strategy meetings.

What to Do With This

Inspect every television in your office or home workspace tomorrow morning. Open the system settings on any LG set, revoke all voice assistant and microphone permissions, and disable automatic network discovery. If the screen only serves as a monitor for presentations, pull its network credentials completely and plug your laptop directly into HDMI.