LG TVs collect far more data on you than you'd expect
LG TVs collect far more data on you than you'd expect
admin 14 hours ago'We know who's in the LG household… we own the glass': A new report says LG TVs gather way more personal data than we feared — and comments from LG's own execs only worsen the sense of privacy invasion. LG TVs collect far more data on you than you'd expect, says new report, including logging microphone audio while on standby and detecting your wireless devices including phones and smartwatches — and users are furious.
LG is at the center of another online privacy storm focusing on its smart TVs. A new investigation by Gamers Nexus and independent security researchers, detailed in full in 135-minute YouTube embedded below, says that LG TVs are tracking "everybody in the household" — even when the TVs appear to be off, or unplugged from your local network. And they're looking at your other devices too.
The result, Gamers Nexus says, is "216,000,000 Spy TVs" reporting on millions of other devices in the US alone.
The report comes just over a month after LG was accused of installing adware on PCs and recording guests in your home, claims that LG refuted in a statement. However, this new report could be even more damaging because LG's own marketing pitch to businesses says that "we know who's in the LG household. We know which devices are there. We know what you're exposed...
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LG is at the center of another online privacy storm focusing on its smart TVs. A new investigation by Gamers Nexus and independent security researchers, detailed in full in 135-minute YouTube embedded below, says that LG TVs are tracking "everybody in the household" — even when the TVs appear to be off, or unplugged from your local network. And they're looking at your other devices too.
The result, Gamers Nexus says, is "216,000,000 Spy TVs" reporting on millions of other devices in the US alone.
The report comes just over a month after LG was accused of installing adware on PCs and recording guests in your home, claims that LG refuted in a statement. However, this new report could be even more damaging because LG's own marketing pitch to businesses says that "we know who's in the LG household. We know which devices are there. We know what you're exposed...
➤➤➤ SEE MORE
Stop this Nonsense in it's Tracks - Here's a Domain Blocklist (Ad, ACR, & Telemetry)
Add these domains to your router's DNS blocklist, Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, or NextDNS. These block ad serving, screen sampling (Live Plus / ACR), and behavioral logging without breaking app downloads, streaming, or firmware updates.
Note: Do not block main lge.com or lgappstv.com subdomains outside of ibis, as doing so will break firmware update checks and the LG Content Store.
Step 1: Prevent TV from Accessing Local Network Devices
To isolate the TV from scanning or communicating with phones, computers, and smart devices on your home network:
Step 2: Block Encrypted DNS & Hardcoded Fallbacks
LG webOS attempts to bypass local DNS blocklists by querying public DNS resolvers directly via DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) or hardcoded IP addresses.
To prevent this bypass, configure outbound firewall rules on your router for the TV's IP/MAC address:
Verification Check
Add these domains to your router's DNS blocklist, Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, or NextDNS. These block ad serving, screen sampling (Live Plus / ACR), and behavioral logging without breaking app downloads, streaming, or firmware updates.
lgsmartad.com
ad.lgsmartad.com
us.info.lgsmartad.com
lgtvsdp.com
nextlgsdp.com
alphonso.tv
ibis.lgappstv.com
rdx.smartshare.com
smartclip.net
sngbar.ngd.yahoo.com
Note: Do not block main lge.com or lgappstv.com subdomains outside of ibis, as doing so will break firmware update checks and the LG Content Store.
Step 1: Prevent TV from Accessing Local Network Devices
To isolate the TV from scanning or communicating with phones, computers, and smart devices on your home network:
- Use a Guest Network or VLAN: Move the LG TV to your router's Guest Wi-Fi network or a dedicated IoT VLAN.
- Enable AP/Client Isolation: Ensure "Device Isolation" or "Access Intranet" is disabled on the guest network so the TV cannot talk to other devices on the same subnet.
- Firewall Subnet Blocking: If setting up custom router firewall rules, create a rule blocking the TV's IP address from accessing private RFC1918 ranges:
192.168.0.0/16
10.0.0.0/8
172.16.0.0/12
Step 2: Block Encrypted DNS & Hardcoded Fallbacks
LG webOS attempts to bypass local DNS blocklists by querying public DNS resolvers directly via DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) or hardcoded IP addresses.
To prevent this bypass, configure outbound firewall rules on your router for the TV's IP/MAC address:
- Block Public DNS Ports: Drop outbound traffic from the TV's IP to TCP/UDP ports 53, 853 (DoT), and 443 targeting external DNS provider IPs (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4, 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1, 9.9.9.9).
- Redirect Port 53 (NAT Rule): Force all port 53 DNS traffic originating from the TV's IP to redirect back to your local filtered DNS server (e.g., Pi-hole or router local DNS).
Verification Check
- Reboot the LG TV.
- Check your DNS blocker query logs—you should see blocked requests targeting lgsmartad.com and alphonso.tv within 60 seconds of startup.
- Attempt to ping a local computer's IP address from a terminal app on the TV or verify from your router logs that cross-subnet traffic from the TV is blocked.
Last modified by admin 13 hours ago