LG says they collect data to improve your experience, but the app that controls your soundbar secretly sends your data to 14 different tracking companies — including Facebook, Google's ad network, and data profiling firms. Your soundbar app is one of the most heavily tracked apps you can install. LG was caught red-handed collecting TV viewing data even when users turned off data collection. That was in 2013. Now the same company controls your soundbar through the same app ecosystem. Privacy reviewers gave the LG ThinQ app a "Warning" rating — they share your data for marketing and may sell it to third parties.
What they claim: The LG ThinQ app (com.lgeha.nuts) requests the RECORD_AUDIO permission, giving it access to the device microphone. The S75Q soundbar itself has no built-in microphone and no voice control functionality.
What we found: App permissions include RECORD_AUDIO (dangerous-level permission). Hardware review confirms: "no microphone arrays here as the unit lacks any kind of voice control functionality" (SP7Y review, H-M Entertainment). The S75Q also lacks built-in microphones. RECORD_AUDIO permission is unnecessary for soundbar control — the app is recording audio from the phone microphone, not the soundbar. This grants LG the ability to capture ambient audio from the user phone while the app is in use.
What they claim: LG's privacy policy discloses collection of "speaker's voice and its translated text" and "audio, electronic, visual, or similar information". The S75Q soundbar has no microphone or voice control.
What we found: LG global privacy policy explicitly states collection of "speaker's voice and its' translated text" in account information and "audio, electronic, visual, or similar information, such as video recordings". The S75Q soundbar has no microphone hardware, no voice assistant, and no voice control capability. However, the ThinQ app has RECORD_AUDIO permission — the voice collection likely occurs via the phone app, not the soundbar itself. Users buying a soundbar would not expect their voice to be recorded and transcribed.
What they claim: The LG ThinQ app requests ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, and ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION permissions. A soundbar sits in one place in the living room.
What we found: App requests three location permissions including ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION (tracks location even when app is not in use), ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION (GPS-level precision), and ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION. The S75Q is a stationary soundbar — it does not move. WiFi setup requires one-time location access, not persistent background tracking. Combined with the AltBeacon tracker (Bluetooth beacon-based physical location tracking), this enables continuous surveillance of user physical movements long after soundbar setup.
What they claim: The S75Q is marketed as a standalone soundbar. In practice, it feeds data into LG's ThinQ ecosystem alongside TVs, fridges, and washers.
What we found: LG ThinQ app (com.lgeha.nuts) controls TVs, soundbars, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, and robot vacuums through a single account. LG privacy policy confirms sharing data with "LG Group entities for product development" and receiving data from "marketing companies and data brokers". Common Sense Privacy found data profiles created for personalized ads. Check Point's HomeHack showed all devices on an LG account are interconnected. This means your soundbar usage data is combined with your TV viewing habits, refrigerator usage patterns, and laundry schedules to build a comprehensive household profile.
What they claim: LG's privacy policy states data is used to "deliver more relevant advertising" and "improve services". The framing suggests modest, improvement-oriented data use.
What we found: Exodus Privacy report (v4.1.28110) identifies 14 third-party trackers in the LG ThinQ app: Adobe Experience Cloud, AltBeacon (physical location tracking via Bluetooth beacons), Braze (location/ads/analytics), Dynatrace, Facebook Analytics, Facebook Login, Facebook Share, Google AdMob (advertising), Google CrashLytics, Google Firebase Analytics, Keen, mParticle, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Treasure Data (profiling/analytics). 14 trackers is extremely high — the app is sharing user data with at least 14 separate third-party companies across advertising, profiling, location tracking, and analytics categories. This goes far beyond "improving services".
What they claim: LG's current privacy policy promises users can manage their data preferences. LG previously collected data from Smart TVs even when users explicitly opted out.
What we found: In November 2013, researcher DoctorBeet discovered LG Smart TVs transmitted viewing data and USB file names to LG servers even when "Collection of watching info" was set to OFF. LG admitted this on November 21, 2013, calling it "a problem". The ThinQ platform now connects TVs, soundbars, fridges, and washers under one ecosystem. Common Sense Privacy gave ThinQ a "Warning" rating — personal information shared for third-party marketing, data profiles created for personalized ads, unclear whether data is sold to third parties. The same company that ignored opt-out settings on TVs now controls soundbar data through the same ecosystem.
What they claim: LG's privacy policy discloses receiving information from "marketing companies and data brokers" to understand user interests. The ThinQ app already collects extensive data independently.
What we found: LG privacy policy: "We receive information about you from...marketing companies and data brokers, in order to better understand your interests and deliver...more tailored Services and advertising." The ThinQ app already collects 35 permissions worth of data, embeds 14 trackers, and accesses location, contacts, camera, audio, and accounts. LG augments this first-party data with purchased third-party data broker profiles to create even more detailed user profiles. Your soundbar app data is merged with externally purchased behavioral data about you.
What they claim: LG's privacy policy frames advertising as delivering "more relevant" content. The ThinQ app includes Google AdMob, a full advertising SDK.
What we found: The ThinQ app embeds Google AdMob — Google's mobile advertising platform that serves display ads, video ads, and native ads. Combined with the AD_ID permission (advertising identifier tracking), Facebook Analytics, Facebook Login, Braze (location/advertisement/analytics), Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Treasure Data (profiling), the app is a comprehensive advertising delivery and user profiling platform. The AD_ID permission enables cross-app tracking — LG can link your soundbar usage to your activity in other apps. Users downloading an app to control a speaker are unknowingly installing an ad platform.
What they claim: LG markets the S75Q as featuring "Synergy TV" integration and ThinQ ecosystem connectivity, implying a seamless, safe smart home.
What we found: CVE-2023-6317 through CVE-2023-6320: Bitdefender found four critical vulnerabilities in LG webOS (TV platform) allowing unauthorized access, root escalation, and command injection. 91,000+ devices exposed online. CVE-2023-44121: Intent redirection in ThinQ Service app allows access to all unexported activities on device. Check Point's HomeHack vulnerability allowed remote control of ALL LG smart home devices through account takeover. Soundbar connected via ThinQ is reachable through compromised TV or hijacked LG account. LG took 4 months to patch the webOS vulnerabilities after disclosure.
What they claim: The LG ThinQ app requests CAMERA, READ_CONTACTS, WRITE_CONTACTS, and GET_ACCOUNTS permissions. A soundbar is an audio output device with no camera, no contacts integration, and no social features.
What we found: App permissions include CAMERA (access phone camera), READ_CONTACTS (read entire phone contacts list), WRITE_CONTACTS (modify contacts), and GET_ACCOUNTS (list all accounts on device). The S75Q soundbar is a 3.1.2ch speaker bar with HDMI, optical, and Bluetooth/WiFi — none of its functions require access to user contacts, camera, or device accounts. These permissions exist because ThinQ is a shared app across all LG products, but users installing it for a soundbar are granting access to their contacts, camera, and accounts unnecessarily.