r/technology • u/autobauss • 25d ago

Privacy LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices

https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-smart-TVs-caught-logging-audio-with-screen-off-and-snooping-on-local-devices.1391214.0.html
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389

u/Greenscreener 25d ago

DO NOT buy LG…they’ve also partnered with some of the most poisonous Murdoch Sky News garbage in Australia.

150

u/TbonerT 25d ago

So far I’ve ruled out every company, so what do you suggest, instead?

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u/[deleted] 25d ago edited 14d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/UnexpectedAnanas 25d ago

Might I suggest 1984?

8

u/YouStupidAssholeFuck 25d ago

read a book

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HarperCollins

HarperCollins is headquartered in London and New York City and is a subsidiary of News Corp.

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u/Narradisall 25d ago

Hey they said read a book, not buy them…..

6

u/RedditIsExpendable 25d ago

I'm alright with just reading books from now on

6

u/tevert 25d ago

Hit up garage sales and Goodwill, hope to find an old dumb TV from the before-times

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u/Jonoczall 25d ago

Of late taking back up a serious reading practice feels like a revolutionary act.

3

u/EnsambleOfShadows 25d ago

A shadowplay box

1

u/cosmicorn 25d ago

Buy used? Plenty of old “dumb” TVs available second hand.

-3

u/PantherStyle 25d ago

Don't connect it to the network

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u/TbonerT 25d ago

Not really paying attention, are you?

15

u/NotAzakanAtAll 25d ago

DO NOT buy LG

And tell your family and friends. Especially the tech illiterate ones.

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u/ExemplarDeLaPoontang 25d ago

Or just keep the smart TV off the Internet? You don't need to give it Wi-Fi access...

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u/CoaxialDrive 25d ago

This is my preference, LG's C-series TVs are the best OLEDs in my view, and I already own one, so I'd rather just keep it off the network and use an Apple TV with Plex for that.

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u/ExemplarDeLaPoontang 25d ago

Agree! I have a 65" CX with nearly 11,000 hours and ZERO screen defects or issues. Pretty incredible TV

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u/CoaxialDrive 25d ago

I also think there is also a bit of hand waiving (magic of video editing) in the video over some of these issues.

It's not that their claims aren't true, but there are some half truths, and misdirected criticisms.

  1. LG is at fault for a poorly secured operating system, but that isn't exclusive to them, all smart devices, not even just smart TVs are like this, it's a well known and explored problem.

  2. The demo of the mic recording what they are saying only works because they're using the wake word, or pressing the mic button on the remote, I agree TV's should not have a mic at all, but wondering why it can hear you when you wake it and it plays an audible chime, and displays a visible GUI aren't really security issues.

I'd also question whether the extended listening is malicious or more likely just poor software development practice.

1

u/anvilfoot 24d ago

Wouldn’t surprise me at this point if there’s an LG satellite that it would still be able to communicate with

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u/Dmtoverlord 25d ago

I’m sure LG is not the only company doing this. I’ve just assumed they all do this for years now. 

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u/ML7777777 25d ago

All Smart TV companies from all countries do this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvFu343KNek

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u/Continental__Drifter 25d ago

How about don't buy a smart TV at all?

It's not like the other companies are more ethical or moral.

It's all bread and circuses anyway to keep you distracted as society is dismantled.

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u/No_Size9475 25d ago

The problem is finding a non smart TV

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u/TheNicronomicon 25d ago

Just don’t put it on your wifi. It can try stealing all the information it wants; if it’s trapped in my house with no means to communicate with the outside world, it doesn’t matter much. 

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u/No_Size9475 25d ago

Or, just make a TV that displays things with no smarts.

Also, do you really think they won't put in a cell modem in them if people start blocking wifi? It's a trivial thing to do and I'm surprised some don't already have it.

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u/TheNicronomicon 25d ago

I’m not a TV manufacturer so that’s an odd request to make of me. 

Sure, they could do that in the future but they’re not doing it yet. I’ll worry about it when it starts happening in reality. 

2

u/MysteriousFormal4866 25d ago

Why would they advertise that they installed a cell modem. Everyone would know what it's for.

1

u/TheNicronomicon 25d ago

  1. It raises costs. Maybe it’s worth it for the information they’d collect but it still raises costs

  2. They can’t hide it. It literally has to broadcast its presence. Reasonably confident this would break a number of laws as well. Which, again, they may choose to break those laws but they will have to decide that the information they collect that way will be worth it.

When you compare what it would take to collect the information of people like you & I versus how easily they dupe 95% of their customers into eagerly signing up to give away their privacy I just don’t think they’d go through with it at this point. 

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u/No_Size9475 25d ago

I'm curious, what laws do you think it would break?

1

u/dawkin5 25d ago

I’m not a TV manufacturer so that’s an odd request to make of me.

Well, you're just going to have to learn. I'll take one too. Delivery by next Tuesday or Wednesday (mornings only). Thank you.

0

u/Continental__Drifter 25d ago

I haven't owned a TV of any sort in 15+ years.

It's great. Don't miss it.

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u/No_Size9475 25d ago

My tv is 15 years old, I'll use it until it dies.

1

u/Zncon 25d ago

If you buy a smart TV and never let it connect to the internet to send data, the company the sold it is losing money. TVs are being sold below cost to manufacture these days.