Devices are troubling when they refuse to stop listening, Pilvre says

Technology expert Glen Pilvre told ERR’s Vikerhommik programme that collecting data to map people’s habits is not in itself a major concern, but problems arise when devices continue listening despite being told to stop.

YouTube channel Gamers Nexus and cybersecurity researchers from Level1Techs reported last week that LG smart televisions extensively collect user data. According to the report, the televisions capture everything around them and send the information elsewhere. Disconnecting a television from the internet was reportedly not enough, as it stored the data and transmitted it when the connection was restored.

“This sounds very frightening, of course,” Pilvre said. He explained that the main purpose of collecting the information was to map people’s habits and show them advertisements that might interest them. He said this was not necessarily malicious or intended to cause direct harm.

Pilvre said the allegations currently concerned the United States region, while laws and company practices could differ in Europe. LG has rejected the claims, saying its televisions comply with the law and listen only when instructed to do so.

He said the allegations could potentially lead to a lawsuit, describing them as serious. At the same time, he said there was no reason to dismiss the reporting and research, adding that “there is a lot of smoke and perhaps a small spark somewhere.”

Pilvre added that televisions were not the only devices collecting information. Phones and ordinary computers also help map users’ habits, which companies then monetise by selling targeted advertising.

“The only reason, as with most things, is money,” he said. The data is valuable, while consumers may receive better products in return. The downside, he added, was that people should understand and accept this arrangement.

Pilvre said targeted advertising was not necessarily frightening for an ordinary consumer. The key issue was whether people could stop a television from collecting information after being told that it was doing so. He said the problem was that data collection could be difficult to end because the advertising business was valuable.

He said people involved in matters that “fear the light” should think carefully about the risks, as large volumes of information could potentially be used at the individual level. For ordinary people interested in products such as washing powder, however, he said the main concern was simply that companies were making money from their data.