Stopped trusting my smart TV, so I made it dumb again

Smart TV security and privacy concerns are at the center of a report describing how a user “dumbed down” an LG C5 OLED after questioning the value of smart features. The author says internet-connected TV activity raised data-exposure worries, using a local Pi-hole DNS setup to review requests. They found lookups beyond typical streaming, including app boot, API, logging, event, push, and content-delivery domains, plus Netflix/LG voice-related domains. Most notably, the TV triggered queries tied to an Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) tracking provider, suggesting viewing-related information could be shared. The user also disabled LG’s Live Plus feature in webOS settings, after its description indicated recognition and potential third-party sharing. The LG C5 is a premium 4K OLED available in 42–83 inches, with webOS, Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and 120Hz.