A new report is making the rounds, and if you have a smart TV anywhere in your business, it's worth a look. An investigation covered by TechRadar alleges LG TVs collect far more than what's on screen - including nearby device info, network details, and in some cases audio, even when the TV looks off. LG disputes the audio claims, but doesn't dispute the business model: its own marketing pitches advertisers on knowing who's in the household and what devices are connected. As executives put it in the report, "we own the glass."

That's not a TV feature. That's a data business, and the TV is just the sensor - and most manufacturers are doing some version of the same thing.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Smart TVs sit on the same Wi-Fi as everything else - in conference rooms, lobbies, breakrooms. Any device that can scan for nearby hardware can see the rest of your network, even if it never touches a file on it. That's the same blind spot we see with smart speakers, thermostats, cameras, and guest Wi-Fi: devices nobody reviewed, quietly connected, reporting data somewhere.

What We'd Actually Recommend

Don't connect the TV itself to the internet. Use a Roku, Apple TV, or similar streaming device instead, and leave the TV's own Wi-Fi off:

  • Smart TV operating systems rarely get patched like a phone or laptop - vulnerabilities can sit open for years.
  • Dedicated streaming devices are maintained by companies whose business is the box, not selling your data.
  • The built-in mic is the real risk - a basic streaming device removes it entirely.

Beyond that swap:

  1. Inventory every connected device - TVs, thermostats, speakers, all of it.
  2. Segment your network so a compromised device is a dead end, not a doorway.
  3. Check opt-in settings buried in TV menus and turn off what you don't need.
  4. Loop in IT before installing any new connected device.

How Red Key Helps

Our IT Assessments map every device on your network - including the ones nobody remembers plugging in - and feed that into the Red Key IT app for real-time visibility. Our Cybersecurity Management team makes sure your network is properly segmented, and as a Managed IT partner, we keep watching - not just scan once and walk away.

Red Key delivers peace of mind with modern Managed IT solutions for startups, small & medium companies in Westchester, New York City, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Florida, and nationwide since 2002.

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Source: TechRadar, "LG TVs collect far more data on you than you'd expect, says new report," September 2026.