Why LG Is Cracking Down on Proxy SDKs
LG Electronics announced this week it will suspend any smart TV apps that turn televisions into always-on residential proxy nodes. The move comes less than a month after researchers revealed that over 42 percent of games and utilities on LG’s webOS store let unknown third parties route internet traffic through users’ TVs.
Security firm Spur published findings in early July showing that residential proxy software development kits (SDKs) have quietly infiltrated smart TV platforms. For Samsung’s Tizen OS, more than a quarter of apps contained similar components. The data suggests a systemic problem, not an isolated incident.
What Are Residential Proxies Doing in Your TV?
Residential proxy networks pay app developers to embed SDKs that turn a device into a proxy node. Paying customers then rent that node to route their own traffic through it. In LG and Samsung smart TVs, Spur found these SDKs bundled with everything from Pac-Man clones to screensavers and file managers.
A Pac-Man app from Bright Data even offers users a choice: watch ads or let the TV serve as a proxy node. Bright Data, which accounted for the majority of proxy SDKs on both platforms, did not respond to requests for comment.
Bright Data and other providers claim they follow rigorous know-your-customer processes to prevent abuse. They also say they deploy countermeasures that stop proxy customers from interacting with other devices on the user’s local network. But critics argue that a one-time consent prompt buried in a TV app is not enough.
LG’s Response: Suspensions and Policy Changes
LG Senior Vice President John Taylor told KrebsOnSecurity that the company is working with developers to remove residential proxy options from their apps. Developers that fail to comply will see their apps suspended.
“A residential proxy network is not an intended use for LG smart TVs,” Taylor said. “LG Electronics is working with developers to remove the residential proxy option from their apps on the webOS platform. If this option is not removed, these apps will be suspended.”
Taylor added that the review is “well underway now.” LG will also strengthen its evaluation process for developer-submitted apps, including those that incorporate proxy SDKs.
The Deeper Problem: Consent and Awareness
Spur’s Trevor Sutter put it bluntly: “A one-time consent prompt buried in a TV app is not a substitute for meaningful transparency, ongoing control, and platform oversight. The risk is amplified when consent comes from individuals within the household who use the device but shouldn’t give consent, such as minors.”
Most consumers do not think of their smart TV as a computer. They don’t audit apps or check for background network activity. That makes residential proxies particularly insidious. The device sits in the living room, always on, always connected — an ideal node for someone who wants to hide their traffic behind a real residential IP address.
Spur’s report notes that the problem is not that residential proxy networks exist, but that they are being embedded at scale in devices that most people cannot easily monitor.
LG’s Other Controversy: McAfee Bloatware
LG’s announcement comes amid criticism over another partnership. This week, the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus showed that certain LG LCD monitors automatically install an app promoting paid McAfee antivirus subscriptions. The app arrives through Windows Update without any approval prompt. Users reported that the software drivers push McAfee promotions without consent, triggering frustration among gamers and professionals alike.
LG has not yet commented on the McAfee issue. But the combination of proxy SDKs in smart TVs and unwanted antivirus promotions in monitors suggests a pattern: LG is comfortable embedding third-party monetization in its hardware, often without clear user consent.
What This Means for LG Users
For now, LG’s crackdown on residential proxies is a positive step. Users should check which apps are installed on their webOS smart TVs and remove any they do not recognize. If an app offers a choice between ads and “network sharing,” the safest option is to uninstall it entirely.
The company says it will continue to review apps and enforce the ban. Whether that translates into real change — or just a temporary PR move — remains to be seen. But for the millions of LG smart TV owners, the message is clear: your television should not be a tool for strangers to hide their internet activity.
As Spur’s research showed, the problem extends beyond LG. Samsung has not announced any similar action for its Tizen platform. Consumers who want to avoid residential proxies altogether may need to look beyond the app store — or consider whether they need a smart TV at all.
