LG TV Scanning LAN for Third-Party Phones and Connected Devices

LG TVs are facing renewed privacy concerns after a security investigation appeared to show that some models can scan local networks and identify nearby devices—even when the television is switched off or in standby mode.

Gamers Nexus worked with Level1Techs and security researchers to examine the network activity of LG smart TVs, including the company’s premium G5 OLED model. Using packet captures, the researchers reported that the televisions scanned local networks for connected devices and nearby Wi-Fi networks.

“When we crawled across our network, we discovered dozens of unrelated devices, including smartwatches and cell phones from staff members who didn’t even know we were working on this,” said Gamers Nexus Editor-in-Chief Steve Burke.

The findings have also raised questions about LG’s connected-TV advertising business. LG Ad Solutions’ recent marketing materials reportedly claim that the company can reach 363 million “addressable secondary devices” in the United States.

When asked for comment, a company representative provided a statement from LG Electronics by email.

LG TVs can identify compatible devices on the same network to enable features such as device connectivity, content sharing, and smart-home functionality.

According to the investigation, researchers used Wireshark, a network protocol analyzer, to examine LG TV firmware and network traffic. They said the television could identify the IP addresses, geographic locations, names, signal strengths, and channel numbers of nearby Wi-Fi networks. The TV also appeared capable of detecting other devices on the local network—even when those devices were not directly connected to the television—as well as the internal IP addresses of networked devices.

It remains unclear whether LG uses this information for purposes beyond advertising, such as diagnostics, device discovery, or smart-home integration. It is also uncertain whether all of the collected network information is transmitted to LG’s servers.

The findings nevertheless highlight ongoing smart TV privacy concerns. Because LG TVs may remain connected to a home network while powered off or in standby mode, owners may want to review their TV’s privacy, advertising, and network-discovery settings. Users concerned about LG TV tracking can also consider disabling unnecessary connected features or placing the television on a separate guest network.