LG to Ban Residential Proxies from Smart TV Apps July 21, 2026

[Condobloke]

LG to Ban Residential Proxies from Smart TV Apps – Krebs on Security

The home appliance giant LG Electronics USA said this week it plans to suspend any apps built for its smart TVs that turn one’s television into an always-on residential proxy node. The move comes less than a month after researchers found that more than 42 percent of games and other apps available for download on LG’s webOS store allow unknown third-parties to route their Internet traffic through a user’s TV.

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[NicWelds]

Suddenly I'm glad that my LG smart TV has a broken network interface and can't connect to the internet.

 

[f33dm3bits]

You can choose to not connect your tv to a wireless network.

 

[KGIII]

That's a good start. LG is usually pretty good at keeping its stuff updated for a while, though I'm not sure how that applies to their TV line.

So much of that slop software goes unmaintained long before the 'reasonable life' has ended.

I love the concept of the smart home. I just don't want any of the commercial smart home products. I've done some myself. I have a sibling who does a lot with SBCs (Arduino is his jam). But he also uses an Alexa and ties his stuff in with that. I am not interested in having any Alexa products in my home.

 

[deb_user]

I have a number of devices that work with Alexa, but none of them are exclusively Alexa. ISTM most devices work with multiple smart home hubs. I don't use Alexa.

 

[GatorsFan]

When you use a residential proxy, your internet connection is routed through a proxy server that has an IP address assigned to it by an ISP. Since these IP addresses are tied to physical devices and locations (like smartphones, computers etc.), they appear as organic and legitimate to websites. Residential proxies work best in situations where you need to access geo-restricted content or websites while appearing as legitimate traffic.

The main difference between a VPN and a residential proxy is that VPNs usually routes all your internet traffic through their servers, whereas residential proxies route your traffic through individual residential IP addresses.

Also, VPNs typically encrypt your data, making it even more secure and private. This makes VPNs a popular choice for individuals who want to protect their online privacy and security.

I wonder if LG will try and ban VPNs next

I do not have a smart TV, Alexa or anything like those in my home