South Korean electronics manufacturer LG Electronics faces growing criticism after users accused the company of using smart televisions to record conversations and train artificial intelligence.
The controversy intensified after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against LG and several other technology companies, alleging that their smart televisions take screenshots of displayed content without obtaining owner consent.
Following the legal action, LG updated its user agreement, introducing new terms that sparked further privacy concerns, technology publication BGR reported. The revised terms state that LG smart televisions utilize artificial intelligence-based voice recognition services that are capable of recording the speech of people located near the device.
Under the updated terms of service, LG places responsibility for complying with wiretapping and privacy regulations directly on the television owner. Users are required to ensure that family members and guests in their homes are informed about the potential processing of voice data and have consented to it. Device owners strongly criticized the policy, viewing it as an attempt by the company to shift legal liability onto consumers.
LG later responded to the backlash, stating that its televisions do not collect, record, or store conversations taking place within a room, adding that any features capable of doing so are strictly optional. However, this statement directly contradicts an earlier document published by LG, which explicitly declared that the company's televisions can and do collect, record, and store ambient surrounding conversations.
LG Smart Television Privacy History
LG Electronics, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of smart televisions and home appliances, regularly releasing firmware updates to add picture modes and software features. However, the current dispute is not the first time the manufacturer has faced scrutiny over data collection practices.
In 2013, LG was accused of monitoring Smart TV owners by continuously gathering data on the television channels and programs they watched, although devices at the time did not record voice audio. Following public outcry, LG issued a firmware update to resolve the tracking issue. Most modern smart televisions rely on Automatic Content Recognition technology, a feature that identifies onscreen media to deliver targeted advertising and is typically enabled by default.
Software Concerns on Computer Monitors
The scrutiny surrounding LG has extended beyond televisions to include several of the company's computer monitor models. Users reported that specific monitor models display advertisements for McAfee antivirus software every time the computer boots up, despite owners never granting permission to download the bundled software.
According to user reports, the installed software gains access to all system resources on the computer. The program collects sensitive user data, including geographical location, hardware configuration, network activity, and computer account information. The issue has been reported in connection with specific LG monitor models, including the 34GX900A-B, the 39GX950B, and the 32GS95UE-B.
User Disabling Options and Boycott Calls
Television owners who prioritize privacy over voice functionality can manually disable microphone capabilities on their devices. Users can navigate to the television settings menu and turn off functions related to the microphone and voice control.
Addressing the issue on computer monitors is more complex, as disabling the alleged advertising and tracking software may require users to alter Windows Local Group Policy settings. Local Group Policy is a feature in Microsoft Windows operating systems that controls administrative and software permissions across system components.
Amid the growing controversy, some LG device owners are advocating for a boycott of the brand in favor of competing manufacturers. Proponents of the boycott believe that widespread consumer action could compel LG to revise its privacy policies and software deployment practices.
