Apple announced new smartwatches, the Series 12 and Ultra 4, with Audio Intelligence features that can listen to and summarize ambient sounds and conversations. The opt-in features process audio locally on a secure chip without creating recordings, though some users express privacy concerns about always-listening technology.
Apple's new Apple Watch features Live Rewind and Siri Recap audio-record conversations to provide transcriptions and summaries, raising privacy concerns under two-party consent laws in several US states. Although Apple's technology stores audio only temporarily in a secure chip inaccessible to users and others, legal experts say the features may still violate state recording laws, requiring courts to establish new precedent.
LG disputed allegations that its smart TVs continuously record and upload user conversations, claiming wake-word detection is processed locally and data collection features are optional. Security researchers including Gamers Nexus had documented extensive logging of ambient audio, raising concerns LG did not fully address about data collection scope and privacy option transparency.
South Korean electronics company LG denied allegations that its smart televisions record ambient conversations and store audio data, stating voice data is only collected when users explicitly activate voice features. Security researchers from Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs, and independent analysts released a 135-minute investigation claiming LG TVs actively track users and harvest audio transcripts, including background noise from up to 40 feet away, raising privacy concerns about data retention and potential misuse.