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- ACR systems identify viewing behavior, used widely by smart TV makers for targeted data collection.
- LG TVs reportedly scan Wi-Fi, detect nearby devices, and record audio via built-in microphones and remotes.
- Offline or standby modes still capture data, storing it locally and uploading once internet connectivity resumes.
- Captured information is funneled to LG Ad Solutions for advertising and analytics purposes.
- This raises serious privacy concerns; ACR-driven data collection is common across the smart TV industry.
LG TVs are eavesdropping on you even when seemingly turned off, according to a report by YouTubers Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs.
In a more than two-hour-long video, the channels investigated the South Korean tech giant’s approach to Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) systems, which companies normally use to identify viewership behaviours. Per the Gamers Nexus video, LG takes this practice even further by leveraging its TV sets to scan Wi-Fi networks for nearby devices, recording audio through microphones (including those in remotes) and more.
Alarmingly, Gamers Nexus found that TVs are still carrying out data capture even when the TV is offline or in standby mode. In those cases, files are simply stored offline and then automatically uploaded once an internet connection is resumed. All of this information is then fed to LG Ad Solutions.
Of course, this is a huge privacy violation on LG’s part. That said, it should be noted that practically every smart TV company is using ACR in various ways. It’s all about data collection, naturally.
Image credit: LG
Via: The Verge
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