LG is taking action against smart TV applications that discreetly transform your TV into an unauthorized proxy.

      Faiz Aly / Digital Trends

      If you have an LG smart TV, it's possible that one of your seemingly harmless apps has been acting as a conduit for someone else's internet traffic. A report from KrebsOnSecurity indicates that LG has decided to take action against this issue. The company announced this week that it intends to suspend any webOS app that converts a TV into a residential proxy node.

      This decision follows findings from security firm Spur, which discovered that over 42 percent of apps available in LG’s webOS store contain SDKs that silently redirect internet traffic through your TV. Samsung is also affected, with more than a quarter of Tizen apps exhibiting similar characteristics.

      What is a residential proxy, and why should this matter to you?

      It’s akin to renting out your TV’s internet connection without your full awareness. Companies compensate app developers for incorporating these SDKs into their applications, allowing paying customers to use your TV's IP address. Spur found this hidden practice in various apps, from simple games to screensavers and file utilities, not just in obscure or potentially unsafe applications.

      Faiz Aly / Digital Trends

      What steps is LG taking?

      LG Senior Vice President John Taylor told KrebsOnSecurity that developers who do not remove the proxy feature will have their apps entirely removed. He mentioned that LG is already reviewing its app catalog and plans to enhance its evaluation process for future submissions.

      Bright Data, the proxy network associated with most SDKs mentioned in the report, defended its practices, claiming that users opt in via a specific screen and that customers go through a vetting process. However, Spur disagrees, stating that a single consent prompt hidden within a TV app does not represent true transparency, especially since any household member, including children, could inadvertently agree.

      Spur.us

      LG’s decision to clean up its app catalog is a positive step, especially after the company faced criticism for integrating McAfee promotions into its monitor drivers via Windows Update without any prior notice.

      Apple often faces criticism for the lengthy approval process for apps in its App Store, an issue made worse by the influx of video-coded submissions. While some of this criticism is justified, and Apple has allowed some questionable apps into its store, I would prefer a secure App Store over the situation LG is providing.

      Rachit is an experienced tech journalist with over ten years of experience reporting on the consumer technology landscape.

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