LG Moves to Block Smart TV Apps That Turn TVs Into Hidden Proxy Servers

LG Electronics USA has announced it will suspend any smart TV apps found to be turning customers' televisions into residential proxy nodes—devices that quietly route other people's internet traffic through your home network. The decision follows research showing that more than 42 percent of games and apps available on LG's webOS store contained code allowing unidentified third parties to use viewers' TVs this way, often without their knowledge or consent.

Residential proxy networks are used by cybercriminals and other actors to disguise the true origin of internet traffic, making malicious activity such as credential stuffing, ad fraud, or scraping appear to come from ordinary home connections rather than data centres. Because smart TVs are always connected and rarely monitored for unusual network behaviour, they make attractive, low-visibility hosts for these hidden proxy operations. LG's move to police its app store is a step toward closing this exposure, but it highlights how everyday connected devices—not just computers and phones—can be quietly conscripted into larger cybercrime infrastructure.

For small businesses, this case is a reminder that any internet-connected device on a network, including smart TVs in meeting rooms or reception areas, can potentially be exploited to mask malicious traffic or serve as an entry point if not properly managed.