LG has acknowledged that its Smart TVs were collecting viewing information when the data collection mode was switched off.

In a statement to Digital Spy, the South Korean company said it would release a firmware update to correct the problem.

"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."

LG said it regrets any concern reports have caused and that its customers' privacy is its top priority.

However, the electronics leader downplayed the seriousness of the issue, saying that the data it collected "is not personal but viewing information".

DoctorBeet

"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," it explained.

The issue was first raised by blogger DoctorBeet, who wrote that an option in the system settings called "Collection of watching info" remains active even if users decide to switch it off.

LG also responded to claims it collected the names of media files stored on external drives such as USB flash devices.

"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," it stated.

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