LG Electronics USA has announced plans to suspend any apps built for its smart TVs that turn one’s television into an always-on residential proxy node [1]. 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 [2]. According to a report by the security firm Spur, more than a quarter of the apps made for Samsung’s Tizen operating system had similar residential proxy components [3]. LG Senior Vice President John Taylor stated that the company is working with app developers to remove the residential proxy option from their apps on the webOS platform, and that developers that fail to comply will find their apps suspended [4].
The decision to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps is a significant step towards enhancing user privacy and security. Residential proxy networks can be used for malicious activities such as content scraping, and can also compromise user data [5]. By removing these proxies, LG is taking a proactive approach to protect its users and maintain the integrity of its smart TV platform. The company's commitment to keeping residential proxy networks out of its smart TV apps going forward is a welcome move, and one that other smart TV manufacturers should consider following [6].
Sources
- Krebs on Security: LG to Ban Residential Proxies from Smart TV Apps https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/07/lg-to-ban-residential-proxies-from-smart-tv-apps/
- Spur: Smart TV Apps and Residential Proxy SDKs https://spur.us/blog/smart-tv-apps-residential-proxy-sdks
- Krebs on Security: FBI Seizes Netnut Proxy Platform, Popa Botnet https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/07/fbi-seizes-netnut-proxy-platform-popa-botnet/
