A YouTuber has opened up his LG TV, pulled out the WiFi antenna and microphone, and told the company it isn’t welcome to listen in anymore. The move comes after a report from Gamer’s Nexus showed how LG-produced smart TVs can record conversations and scan homes for other devices.
tfm55x, a small YouTuber who hadn’t uploaded in four years, posted a video titled “This LG G6 OLED Glass Belongs to Me! It’s not spying on me anymore.” The clip shows him carefully taking apart the TV to remove the components he believes let it spy on him. He calls LG “dirty rotten scoundrels” and rejects the company’s claim that it “owns the glass.”
What Gamer’s Nexus Found
On September 6, Gamer’s Nexus posted a video showing how many LG TVs secretly record conversations and store them. Kotaku‘s report also found that LG TVs scan homes for other devices and WiFi signals, and keep doing it even after the TV is disconnected from the internet. The video included clips of LG executives and partners saying they “own the glass” and not the customer.
The report was thorough, well-researched, and quickly spread online. It prompted LG to respond and deny the claims. For many viewers, the video showed how bad privacy and security have become in most big tech devices.
How tfm55x Responded
tfm55x had a simpler answer. He opened his TV, pulled out the WiFi and mic, and posted the video. In the short clip, he explains that he was planning to put the TV on a private, virtual network so he could control how it interacts with the internet. But as seen in the Gamer’s Nexus video, that likely wouldn’t be enough to stop it from spying.
So he decided to take the TV apart and rip out everything it needs to spy on people manually. “Apparently, the little scoundrels at LG are telling customers that they own the screen or they own the glass,” he said. “Well, you don’t own the glass on this one. And this is my official non-acceptance of the terms of your agreements that amount to, I don’t even know, how many reams of paper when printed out. I do not accept any of those. I flatly refuse to pay that much money for a television and then have you snooping on everything I’m doing. It’s none of your damn business.”
The Comments Were Just As Good
The top comment on the video, with over 2,000 upvotes, reads: “Best ‘I do not accept’ I’ve ever seen.” The thread is filled with people cheering on tfm55x for ripping out the spy hardware from his new TV and for telling LG off.
The response shows how much people care about privacy in their homes. A small YouTuber who hadn’t uploaded in four years suddenly had thousands of people cheering him on for refusing to accept the terms of service on a product he paid for.
The TV Works Fine
On Thursday, tfm55x posted a follow-up video showing that his new TV works perfectly fine. It’s just not spying on him and sharing his data anymore.
The follow-up answers the obvious question: did he damage the TV in the process? The answer is no. The TV functions normally, but the spying components are gone.
What We Make Of It
tfm55x’s video is a small act of rebellion. He refused to accept the terms of service on a product he paid for. He opened it up, pulled out the parts he didn’t want, and posted the whole thing. The response from viewers shows that people care about privacy in their homes, and they’re willing to take action.
The video is a reminder that sometimes the simplest actions are the most effective. He didn’t need a lawyer. He didn’t need a press release. He just needed a screwdriver and a refusal to accept the terms of service on a product he paid for.
- He removed the WiFi antenna
- He removed the microphone
- He rejected LG’s claim that it “owns the glass”
- He posted the whole process on YouTube
tfm55x’s video is a reminder that sometimes the simplest actions are the most effective. He didn’t need a lawyer. He didn’t need a press release. He just needed a screwdriver and a refusal to accept the terms of service on a product he paid for.
Source material: “Dude Rips Out Mic And Wifi From New LG TV That Reportedly Spies On Customers: ‘You Don’t Own The Glass On This One!’,” Kotaku.
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