Researchers from Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs extracted clean microphone audio from an LG TV with its screen off, then watched voice logs queue up and transmit once the TV reconnected to Wi-Fi. That is the specific claim LG needed to answer.
LG’s formal response, issued September 12, 2026, rejects the investigation wholesale but addresses a narrower version of the allegations than researchers actually made.
“The claims made in the recently published video are not true,” an LG spokesperson told Tom’s Hardware. “LG TVs process voice data only when the voice button on the remote control is pressed and held, or when a wake word such as ‘Hi LG’ is recognized after the user has activated the Far-Field voice recognition feature.”
That framing targets continuous, real-time recording and transmission. Researchers documented something different: intermittent, buffered audio logging during standby and delayed upload once connectivity returned.
LG’s statement does not explain what happens to locally buffered audio between interactions, how the system defines a recognized wake-word event, or whether plaintext voice logs persist after a session closes. Those are not obscure edge cases; they are the core of what investigators actually found.
The regulatory backdrop sharpens the concern. LG settled with Texas regulators in May 2026 over tracking and data-collection practices, with conditions requiring informed consent before ACR-style collection begins, according to Mitrade’s coverage.
Investigators found the Texas-mandated opt-out control ships disabled by default, and tested TVs still mapped home networks and captured standby audio. LG calls that network scanning “routine, expected behavior” for connected devices, though that distinction matters if you have guests or anyone in your home who never agreed to LG’s terms.
The Verge notes that analysts found LG’s response closes the “continuous recording” loop while leaving the “intermittent logging” question entirely open. LG also does not address data retention timelines, the scope of secretly tracking users, or what happens to locally stored logs if a device is compromised.
This is the pattern that erodes trust faster than any investigation: a carefully scoped denial that answers the question nobody technically asked. If LG’s data practices are as clean as the company claims, an independent technical audit would settle this decisively. A press statement, however well-worded, is not a verification.
