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LG has found itself at the centre of serious controversy over the privacy of Smart TV users. The Portuguese consumer organisation Citizens Voice has filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer, alleging that some televisions may record household conversations without their knowledge. The organisation is calling for selected models to be withdrawn from sale and for free repairs of devices already sold. LG strongly denies the allegations.
Televisions were alleged to record audio even without an internet connection
The case began with an investigation carried out by Gamers Nexus in cooperation with security experts. According to the researchers, some LG TVs could record audio from their surroundings even with the screen off, store it locally without internet access, and then transmit it once the connection was restored.
Citizens Voice wants independent experts to check whether the TVs can indeed record conversations without the user knowingly activating voice control. The lawsuit also names the Portuguese retail chains FNAC and Worten, which sold LG devices.
The manufacturer rejects the allegations. According to LG, the voice-recognition functions only activate after the appropriate command is spoken or a button on the remote control is pressed. The company says that without activating voice control, conversations are not recorded or sent to servers.
Samsung, Roku and Vizio also under scrutiny
The controversy is not limited to LG. Researchers from Northeastern University tested 12 TVs, examining the operation of ACR technology, which recognises viewed content and can be used, among other things, to personalise advertising.
In the case of Samsung, Roku and Vizio systems, network traffic resembling ACR data transmission was detected even after users had switched off tracking. The researchers note, however, that due to encryption they could not definitively determine the content of the transmitted information.
Interestingly, the tested LG TV running webOS correctly stopped ACR transmission after the feature was disabled. The study's results therefore do not support allegations that LG was recording conversations.
The case in Portugal is still awaiting a decision. Its outcome could, however, be significant for future privacy protections for Smart TV users.
Sources: PRAD, HDTVTest, Northeastern University
