June 22, 2026
Streaming? More like scheming
Nearly Half of LG Smart TV Apps Contain Residential Proxy SDKs
Your TV might be quietly renting out your home internet while commenters scream “ban this”
TLDR: Researchers say many LG smart TV apps may keep using your home internet behind the scenes, even after you stop using the app. Commenters reacted with horror, jokes, and outright rage, with many saying smart TVs are getting creepier by the year and this should be banned.
The big shocker here isn’t just that nearly half of LG smart TV apps reportedly included software that can let other people route internet traffic through your home connection — it’s how instantly the comments turned into a full-blown smart TV hate festival. The article scanned thousands of TV apps and found many hiding this money-making trick inside innocent-looking downloads like fish tanks, clocks, solitaire, and even cute pet apps. In plain English: your television may look like furniture, but some commenters now think it’s acting like a sketchy roommate.
And the mood? Absolutely furious. One person said the whole thing felt like it came “straight out of Silicon Valley,” which pretty much sums up the vibe: absurd, creepy, and somehow still believable. Another declared they’ve always had a “deep, instinctive revulsion” for smart TVs, and this latest discovery only cranked the horror level higher. The hottest no-nonsense reaction was the bluntest: “This needs to be illegal.”
There was a tiny pocket of hope, with one commenter wondering whether most TVs can even keep apps running in the background. But that cautious optimism got drowned out by outrage, disgust, and one delicious side-brawl accusing the article itself of being bloated, AI-ish “slop.” So yes, the story is about TVs quietly using your connection in the background — but the real entertainment is watching the internet collectively decide that smart TVs have officially crossed from annoying to villainous.
Key Points
- •Spur says it scanned 6,038 smart TV apps across LG and Samsung and found 2,058 containing residential proxy SDKs.
- •The article argues smart TVs are effective proxy hosts because they stay online for long periods and are less likely than phones to be monitored by users.
- •According to the article, proxy SDKs allow TV apps to monetize in the background without displaying as many ads or disrupting passive screen experiences.
- •The article says proxy SDK consent prompts shown by providers are typically one-time prompts and may permit proxy activity to continue after the app is closed.
- •Spur presents Pac-Man on Samsung Tizen as an example where users are offered a choice between an ad-supported experience or allowing the TV connection to be used for web indexing via Bright Data.