LG TVs are considered among the best on the market and the company frequently releases upgrades, such as new picture modes that improve the OLED experience. However, LG has a dark side that some say could land the company in a hot legal situation. The manufacturer claims not to do anything illegal, but is avoiding responsibility a good argument?
Lately, customers have accused LG of some truly shady actions, including eavesdropping and spying on people with LG TVs. These accusations came to a head when Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, filed a lawsuit against LG (and several other companies), claiming that their televisions displayed screenshots without the user’s consent. Shortly after Paxton sued LG, the company updated its terms of service, but that only made things worse. The new document not only confirms that LG TVs use AI voice recognition services to record people nearby, but it also claims that by simply owning the device, it is your responsibility to ensure that everyone who visits your home knows and consents to it, as outlined in “applicable wiretapping, eavesdropping and privacy laws.” We are not breaking any laws; You are. At least that’s how customers interpret the terms of service.
LG responded to the situation by issuing statements to media outlets that reported on the difficult situation and its aftermath, including TechRadar. In these statements, LG claimed that “LG TVs do not collect, record or store ambient conversations” and that any features that might do so are optional. However, this claim appears to contradict LG’s previously released document, which states that LG TVs can collect, record and store ambient conversations.
LG has a habit of doing this
LG doesn’t just produce TVs; the company also offers a wide variety of electronics, including one of the best gaming monitors you can buy. Unfortunately, you know what they say: old (or bad) habits die hard.
Although LG computer monitors don’t listen to your conversations, they have another equally shady problem: adware and spyware. Many users claim that these devices silently install software that causes massive pop-up ads (mainly for McAfee) to appear on the screen after each startup sequence. The software would also have obtained permission to track your computer through geolocation and user credentials. All without asking your permission, of course. The list of affected models includes the 34GX900A-B, 39GX950B and LG 32GS95UE-B.
The worst part about this situation is that this isn’t the first time people have accused LG of carrying out this exact scheme. In 2013, LG was accused of spying on its customers through smart TVs. The devices did not record conversations, but they noted the channels and television programs users watched. The public outcry was so bad that LG rolled out a firmware update to “fix this issue.” However, as some people have pointed out, when LG responded to the debacle, the company didn’t exactly apologize. In LG’s latest statement, the company promised that McAfee will not be installed automatically without asking owners’ permission. This claim ignores the fact that monitors display pop-ups advertising the antivirus suite. Additionally, people have linked the adware to a built-in app that they can unsubscribe from, but anyone who does so loses crucial security updates.
How to protect yourself
This debacle surrounding LG spyware and adware allegations has put a bitter taste in the mouth of almost everyone who owns or is considering purchasing an LG smart TV or monitor. Yes, we have known about ads on these devices for a while and we also know how to disable ads on LG TVs. But how can you be sure that the TV isn’t spying on you? Good question.
As shady as the wording of LG’s new terms of service is, the document actually provides some good advice. If you don’t want the TV to listen to you, go to the device’s Settings menu and turn off all microphone and voice features. However, disabling adware and spyware on LG computer screens is much more complicated. You need to go to your computer settings and change the Local Group Policy settings. You can follow the instructions on the r/pcmasterrace subreddit.
Of course, opinions vary on how to approach the situation. Some people think you should avoid buying all LG products right now. The logic is that LG TVs can’t listen to your conversations if you don’t have one, and the company’s boycott will force their hand and convince them to fix the spyware and adware capabilities of their monitors. In fact, if you already own an LG TV, you might want to throw it out and replace it with a model from a rival company, because apparently even older devices aren’t safe from updates that fix spyware and adware.
