Smart TV manufacturer LG, which is embroiled in a controversy after reports that their devices were spying on what channels viewers were watching, has issued a statement.

Here it is:

At LG, we are always aiming to improve our Smart TV experience. Recently, it has been brought to our attention that there is an issue related to viewing information allegedly being gathered without consent. Our customers’ privacy is a very important part of the Smart TV experience so we began an immediate investigation into these claims. Here’s what we found: Information such as channel, TV platform, broadcast source, etc. that is collected by certain LG Smart TVs is not personal but viewing information. This information is collected as part of the Smart TV platform to deliver more relevant advertisements and to offer recommendations to viewers based on what other LG Smart TV owners are watching. We have verified that even when this function is turned off by the viewers, it continues to transmit viewing information although the data is not retained by the server. A firmware update is being prepared for immediate rollout that will correct this problem on all affected LG Smart TVs so when this feature is disabled, no data will be transmitted. It has also been reported that the names of media files stored on external drives such as USB flash devices are being collected by LG Smart TVs. While the file names are not stored, the transmission of such file names was part of a new feature being readied to search for data from the internet (metadata) related to the program being watched in order to deliver a better viewing experience. This feature, however, was never fully implemented and no personal data was ever collected or retained. This feature will also be removed from affected LG Smart TVs with the firmware update. LG regrets any concerns these reports may have caused and will continue to strive to meet the expectations of all our customers and the public. We hope this update clears up any confusion

So, let’s look at the statement bit by bit:

Information such as channel, TV platform, broadcast source, etc. that is collected by certain LG Smart TVs is not personal but viewing information.

Surely what *I* watch on *my* TV in my *own* home is personal information? I don’t want to share it with anyone else. Although I agree it would be more troublesome if it could be easily identified with me specifically.

This information is collected as part of the Smart TV platform to deliver more relevant advertisements and to offer recommendations to viewers based on what other LG Smart TV owners are watching.

More relevant adverts? I’m not sure how that really tunes in with “improve [the] Smart TV experience”. I would imagine that many LG Smart TV owners would, like me, choose to not have any adverts at all introduced by their television.

Recommendations? Okay, well maybe. But that’s something I’d like to have the choice of opting into, rather than have to try to find a way of avoiding.

We have verified that even when this function is turned off by the viewers, it continues to transmit viewing information

Oh dear oh dear. Clearly whoever coded that part of the LG Smart TV firmware forgot the part about how “customers’ privacy is a very important part of the [LG] Smart TV experience”.

although the data is not retained by the server.

Well, that’s something I suppose. Although presumably it is retained for *some* period of time, otherwise how would the adverts and recommendations be possible?

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

Good. Let’s hope people apply the firmware update.

But why not go one step further, LG, and have data transmission turned *off* by default – and put the onus on consumers to enable the functionality if they actually want adverts and recommendations? At least then they will be more aware that they are sharing information with LG.

It has also been reported that the names of media files stored on external drives such as USB flash devices are being collected by LG Smart TVs.

Which, you have to admit, could be embarrassing if you are watching a file called Midget_porn_2013.avi.

While the file names are not stored, the transmission of such file names was part of a new feature being readied to search for data from the internet (metadata) related to the program being watched in order to deliver a better viewing experience.

Presumably LG was also planning to enable this “feature” by default?

This feature, however, was never fully implemented and no personal data was ever collected or retained. This feature will also be removed from affected LG Smart TVs with the firmware update.

Glad to hear that it’s being removed with the firmware update, but how on earth do features that have only been partially implemented manage to ship in hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of TVs that end up in consumers’ front rooms?

What does this say for LG’s quality control if surplus code, which hasn’t been properly tested, that sends details of what should be confidential filenames in *plaintext* across the internet, doesn’t get picked up before the product is bought?

LG regrets any concerns these reports may have caused and will continue to strive to meet the expectations of all our customers and the public. We hope this update clears up any confusion

And there we have it.

LG is sorry if the media reports concerned you.

But they’re not sorry about what they did.

At least, I assume they’re not sorry because they’ve passed up the opportunity to apologise to the consumers who may find it disturbing that their TVs were spying on their viewing habits, and the files on their USB sticks.

And they’re not saying sorry to the users who may have realised what LG was logging, and turned off the feature – not realising that the TVs still behaved precisely the same, even when the feature was seemingly disabled through the options screen.

All they had to do was say, “We’re sorry. We screwed up”. How hard is that?

What’s gone so wrong with big companies that they can’t simply say *sorry* when they screw up?

See also: LG fumbles response to Smart TV spying revelation, withdraws Smart Ad video

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