LG apologizes for Smart TV snooping on customers

London – Television-maker LG has apologized to its customers for unauthorized spying by its Smart TVs on their viewing habits, even after the privacy settings being in place, and has promised an update to correct the problem.

UK-based IT consultant Jason Huntley had found in October, that his Smart TV’s menu system had an option called ‘collection of watching info’, which was switched on by default, and ultimately sent all the data to LG servers , including the DVD content that was attached to the television set.

LG said that a firmware update is being prepared for immediate rollout that will correct this problem on all affected Smart TVs, so when this feature is disabled, no further data will be transmitted, the BBC reports.

The company also clarified that the information was collected to deliver more relevant advertisements and to offer recommendations to viewers based on what other LG Smart TV owners are watching, and that it was nothing to do with the personal information of the customers.

Huntley, meanwhile, welcomed the “positive step”, the report added.