A new investigation from Gamers Nexus has found that LG televisions may still be capturing microphone audio and scanning every device on a home network even when the screen is off. The findings come just four months after LG assured Texas regulators that it had cleaned up its tracking practices.
What the Investigation Found
Gamers Nexus, a hardware review outlet known for deep technical dives, tested LG sets and discovered that the TVs continue to listen and probe the local network while in what appears to be an off state. According to the investigation, the sets are not just passively waiting for a wake signal—they're actively scanning for other devices on the home network and recording audio from the built-in microphone.
The report doesn't specify which models were tested, but the behavior was consistent across the units examined. The scanning appears to happen at regular intervals, and the microphone capture runs even when the screen is black and the TV seems powered down. That's a stark contrast to what most owners would expect from a device that's supposed to be off.
The Promise to Texas Regulators
This isn't the first time LG's tracking has come under scrutiny. Four months ago, the company told Texas regulators that it had addressed privacy concerns and cleaned up its data collection practices. That promise was made in the context of a broader investigation into smart TV tracking, but the new evidence suggests the underlying behavior hasn't stopped.
The timing is awkward. LG's assurance to regulators was meant to close the book on a messy chapter. Instead, Gamers Nexus has reopened it with concrete data showing the TVs are still doing exactly what they were supposed to stop doing.
Privacy Concerns for Owners
For anyone with an LG TV, the practical implications are hard to ignore. A television that listens when off isn't just a privacy risk—it's a network security issue. The fact that the set is scanning every device on the home network means it's building a map of your connected life, from phones and laptops to smart locks and baby monitors.
LG hasn't publicly responded to the investigation yet. The company's earlier commitment to Texas regulators now looks shaky, and the new findings raise a straightforward question: can LG be trusted to actually fix what it says it will fix?
Owners who are concerned have few easy options. Unplugging the TV is the only sure way to stop the behavior, but that defeats the purpose of a smart TV. Disabling the microphone in settings may help, but the investigation suggests the scanning continues regardless.
It's unclear whether Texas regulators will revisit the case or whether LG will offer a firmware update that truly disables the tracking. For now, the ball is in LG's court—and the evidence suggests the company has some explaining to do.
