LG says it will ban or suspend webOS smart TV apps that use software development kits (SDKs) to route third-party internet traffic through users’ televisions. The move follows Spur research that found more than 42% of apps in LG’s webOS store included residential proxy components, often in games and utility apps, with Bright Data accounting for many of the embedded proxy SDKs.
Why it matters: This affects ordinary TV owners whose devices may have been used as always-on proxy relays without meaningful transparency or control. Users should review installed smart TV apps and remove unnecessary ones, while defenders and platform operators should treat consumer connected devices as potential covert proxy infrastructure.
BrianKrebs
2026.07.22
100% relevant
The article establishes a distinct follow-on policy and security story: a major device maker is changing app-store enforcement in response to widespread residential proxy SDK use on consumer smart TVs.
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