LG
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Legal Structure | Public |
| Industry | Electronics |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://lg.com |
LG Corporation is a South Korean electronics and home-appliance chaebol (or mega corporation). They make microwave ovens, ovens, stoves, refrigerators, cell phones (until 2021), TVs, speakers, drives for Blu-ray Disk, CD, and DVD, computer components and peripherals, and other electronics.
Founded in 1947, the company is currently worth over 9.9 billion USD in market cap.[1]
Consumer-impact summary
Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
- User freedom
- User privacy
- Business model
- Market control
Add your text below this box. Once this section is complete, delete this box by clicking on it and pressing backspace.
Incidents
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the LG category.
Sued by Texas state over ACR data collection (2025 - Present):
On 15 December 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against LG,[2] alleging that the manufacturer failed to adequately disclose data collection capabilities of automatic content recognition (ACR) technology in their smart televisions[3]. The lawsuit, filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, allege that ACR technology captures screenshots of television displays at frequent intervals and that the resulting viewing data is sold to advertisers and data brokers without meaningful consumer consent.[4]
Controversies
| Controversy | Year | Background Info | Aftermath | Related Article | Related Video(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear Compressor Reliability | 2001 | Since its introduction, LG has been the subject of several class action lawsuits stemming from repeated failures of its linear compressor design for most of its refrigerators. There is also widespread criticism of LG's warranty and service practices related to these compressor failures. | Ongoing | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km-QqU5Pk84&t | |
| Smart Home Privacy Violations | LG's smart home devices; ranging from its large home appliances, vacuum cleaners, and its TVs have been criticized for their aggressive data collection policies and forced arbitration. | Ongoing | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3suztVz8s7s | ||
| Refusal to provide service manuals for dishwashers | 2025 | After making a request for a service manual from LG Canada as a consumer using the web portal, LG reached out to state that it is their policy that they will not provide service manuals to anyone other than authorized service centers. There was no escalation point to fight the policy decision.
This is based on the testimony of one consumer with a call recording but the recording wasn't made public. |
|||
| Unsolicited installation of Microsoft Copilot app on Smart TVs | 2025 | After an update of WebOS, a new Copilot icon showed up on the home screens of LG Smart TVs. It cannot be uninstalled by the user.[5]Following the online backlash, an LG spokesperson announced in an interview that it would be made possible to remove Copilot in the future, but did not respond when asked when this would be the case.[6] | Ongoing |
Violations of smart-home privacy
Part of the company's appliance division is involved with smart appliances, like microwaves. The company also makes smart OLED TVs.[7]
Implementation
The implementation of "smart" LG devices come with the following features:[8][9][10]
- Terms of service with the only option being to "accept."
- A single terms of service that dictates how a multitude of unrelated LG devices can use your personal data. Agreeing on one device means agreement on all.
- There is only an easily accessible "accept all" button when the service prompts the user with the Terms of Service (ToS).
- LG smart TVs will show you video ads with loud audio on the app store homepage and web browser homepage with no option to turn it off.
- Information gained by smart appliances are used to create a profile on the consumer. This profile is used to give targeted advertisements.
- LG smart TVs Patch root exploits with forced software updates making it so your forced to have a 1000 hour time limit on how long 3rd party apps can be installed with developer mode.
- Products such as the lines of LG smart vacuum cleaners collect information such as images, floor maps, cleaning history, cleaning diary list, and video feed, which is then sent to LG servers.
- Products such as LG smart TVs have the "Do not sell my personal data" setting off by default, being opt-out rather than opt-in.
- In some countries, on some models, (e.g EU and OLED C3) the data collection may become enabled by some firmware updates without the user having accepted the license agreement that entitles LG to collect data. However, the setting to disable the data collection is in a sub-menu that is inaccessible unless the user has agreed to the license agreement. Thus, the user is forced to agree to the license agreement in order to disable data collection.
- Products such as LG smart TVs aggressively promotes updating the firmware. If there is a newer firmware version, then the user will be prompted to update every time the TV is turned on .
- Products such as LG smart TV's collect information on the use of the product, such as what content you watch and when you watch it.
- LG's "ThinQ" mobile app to remotely control their line of portable air conditioners have a requirement for users to input their full name, email, and birthday in order to access these remote-control features. Further information fields prompted but not required include phone number, location, and address information.
- In cases where the OLED TV specifically, not connected to the internet by WiFi or LAN, prompt appears to suggest the user to connect to a network in order to use voice options. This behavior occurs regardless of voice privacy settings set by the user.
- For smart TVs, sign in to an LG account is now mandatory for functions such as downloading and installing apps. From LG support:
Regarding the forced sign-in requirement, we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. The sign-in process is designed to enhance your experience by enabling access to personalised features, app downloads, and updates. It also ensures compatibility with various services and apps available on the LG platform.
- This seems to be a new requirement and is not present on older TVs. It also does not seem to be related to the "Software Version", but rather the "webOS TV Version".
- For unknown reasons, the LG sign in process can present an "Invalid terms type" error message. This seems to have been an issue since at least 2015.[11] In combination with the sign in requirement, this renders the smart functions of the TV inoperable. The workaround is to sign up at lg.com first (rather than lgemembers.com), then login to the TV.[citation needed - A page detailing this would be helpful]
Broader implications
This incident represents broader implications:
- A lack of control over one's own data.
- A lack of consent before using the customers data to make a profit.
- Services being "opt-out" instead of being "opt-in."
- A lack of privacy in one's own home, because their electronics siphon data to LG, even after the transfer of ownership has been made.
- A lack of privacy regardless of the user modified settings, as voice recognition, recording, and transmission attempts happen regularly.
References
- ↑ "Market capitalization of LG Electronics". companiesmarketcap.com. Archived from the original on 12 Feb 2026. Retrieved 13 Apr 2025.
- ↑ "State of Texas v. LG Electronics USA, Inc., Original Petition" (PDF). Office of the Texas Attorney General. December 15, 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 Feb 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas sues biggest TV makers, alleging smart TVs spy on users without consent". Ars Technica. December 16, 2025. Archived from the original on 14 Feb 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Attorney General Paxton Sues Five Major TV Companies, Including Some with Ties to CCP, for Spying on Texans". Office of the Texas Attorney General. December 15, 2025. Archived from the original on 21 Feb 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ defjam16 (2025-12-13). "My LG TV's new software update installed Microsoft Copilot, which cannot be deleted". Reddit. Archived from the original on 14 Dec 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ Washenko, Anna (2025-12-18). "LG will let you delete the previously unremovable Microsoft Copilot shortcut on its smart TVs". engadget. Archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
- ↑ "Promotions". LG. Archived from the original on 28 Jan 2026. Retrieved 13 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Rossmann, Louis (18 Jul 2024). "This LG washing machine sells your personal data 🤦". YouTube. Archived from the original on 23 Feb 2026. Retrieved 13 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Pippig, Laura; Lee, Joel (15 Oct 2024). "Smart TVs are spying on you. How much do manufacturers really know?". PCWorld. Archived from the original on 8 Jul 2025. Retrieved 13 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Anselmi, Gianluca; Vekaria, Yash; D'Souza, Alexander; Callejo, Patricia; Mandalari, Anna Maria; Shafiq, Zubair (10 Sep 2024). "Watching TV with the Second-Party: A First Look at Automatic Content Recognition Tracking in Smart TVs". arxiv.org. Archived from the original on 17 Dec 2025. Retrieved 13 Apr 2025.
- ↑ "Can't sign in to LG account on TV". avforums. 8 Aug 2015. Archived from the original on 5 Apr 2025. Retrieved 13 Apr 2025.