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How to Disable LG TV’s ‘ACR’ System to Stop Data Harvesting and Recording
New York Post • • technology
Key Points:
- An investigation by Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs revealed that some LG smart TVs can secretly record conversations and collect personal data such as location, IP address, nearby Wi-Fi networks, and connected devices, even when the TV is off.
- The TVs’ microphones and webcams capture audio without permission as long as they are connected to the internet, and saved audio files upload automatically once the connection is restored.
- LG’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) system, enabled by default on many smart TVs, collects extensive data including viewing habits and smartphone information linked to the same Wi-Fi network, potentially affecting millions of devices worldwide.
- LG denies these claims, stating voice data is only processed when activated by voice commands or remote buttons, but the investigation found transcripts of private conversations could be extracted from the TVs.
- Users can protect their privacy by disabling the ACR feature on LG TVs through the settings menu, preventing further data collection.
