If you own an LG TV, there is a chance that one of your seemingly harmless apps could be using your device as an internet relay for someone else’s traffic. According to a recent report by Krebs on Security, LG says it is finally stepping in to stop the practice. This week, the company confirmed that it will suspend any webOS app that turns a TV into what is known as a residential proxy node.
The move follows a report from cybersecurity firm Spur, which found that more than 42 percent of apps on LG’s webOS Store include SDKs that can quietly reroute internet traffic through users’ TVs. LG is not the only company affected. Around a quarter of apps available on Samsung’s Tizen platform were also found to contain similar code, suggesting the issue extends beyond a single ecosystem.
What are residential proxies?
In simple terms, residential proxies work by routing your internet connection through your device so that someone else can use your IP address without your knowledge. Spur’s investigation found these SDKs hidden in a wide range of apps, including simple games, screen savers, and file utility apps, rather than just obscure or suspicious applications.
LG’s response to the proxy issue
John Taylor, LG’s Senior Vice President, told Krebs on Security that developers who do not remove the proxy functionality from their apps will have those applications removed from the webOS Store. He added that LG has already begun reviewing its app catalog and plans to introduce stricter app submission requirements going forward.
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Bright Data, the proxy network linked to many of the SDKs identified in the report, defended its practices by stating that users provide consent through a dedicated opt-in screen and that all customers undergo a vetting process. Spur, however, disputes that claim, arguing that a consent prompt buried within a TV app does not constitute meaningful transparency, particularly when anyone in a household—including children—could be the one accepting the request.
LG’s decision to remove the apps has been welcomed, although it comes shortly after the company faced criticism for distributing McAfee promotions through Windows Update as part of its monitor drivers without notifying users in advance.
Apple has often been criticized for the lengthy App Store approval process, an issue made worse by the growing number of AI-generated and video-coded app submissions. While some of that criticism is justified and questionable apps have occasionally slipped through the review process, Apple’s stricter review process is generally viewed as offering a more secure app ecosystem than one where applications containing hidden proxy-related functionality can reach users.
