WASHINGTON (WOWO) — A new investigation is raising serious privacy and cybersecurity concerns about LG smart televisions, with researchers alleging some sets can collect audio while appearing to be turned off and can gather detailed information about other devices connected to a home’s Wi-Fi network.

The findings come from technology review group Gamers Nexus, which published a more than two-hour investigation Monday in collaboration with cybersecurity researchers. The group says it examined several LG television models and tested how the sets collect, store and transmit information.

The most serious allegation involves the televisions’ built-in microphones.

According to the investigation, researchers were able to demonstrate audio being captured while an LG television was in standby mode — meaning the screen appeared to be off after the power button on the remote was pressed.

The researchers said they were also able to demonstrate a scenario in which a compromised television could continue storing audio even when it was not connected to Wi-Fi. When the television was later reconnected to the network, the investigators said the stored audio could be retrieved remotely.

The findings do not mean every LG television is currently being hacked or secretly used to spy on its owner. Instead, the researchers say the combination of LG’s data-collection capabilities and vulnerabilities in the television’s software could create an opportunity for an attacker who gains control of a television.

The investigation also found that LG televisions can collect information about other devices on a home’s local network.

Researchers said they observed tested televisions identifying devices such as smartphones, computers, printers and other connected hardware. The televisions also reportedly collected information about nearby Wi-Fi networks, including network names and signal-related information.

That information, researchers argue, can provide a more detailed picture of activity inside a home than traditional television-viewing data alone.

Most modern smart televisions use a technology known as Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR. The technology can identify what is being watched on a television and is commonly used to provide recommendations and personalized advertising.

Gamers Nexus says LG’s data collection goes further through a system called “Live Plus.”

The researchers argue that information collected by the television can help create a broader profile of a household by identifying other devices and activity occurring on the same network.

LG is pushing back strongly against the investigation’s most serious claims.

In a statement provided to technology news organizations, LG said, “The claims made in the recently published video are not true.”

The company said its televisions process voice data when a user deliberately activates voice features, such as pressing and holding the voice button on the remote. LG also said its far-field voice-recognition feature can respond after a user activates it with a wake word.

LG said its televisions do not otherwise “collect or record ambient conversations.”

The company said wake-word detection takes place locally on the television and that audio is deleted when the wake word is not recognized rather than being transmitted to a server.

LG also disputed the characterization of its network scanning capabilities as unusual, saying the ability to identify and connect with nearby devices is a standard feature associated with smart televisions and other connected devices.

The company said its ACR technology is offered on an opt-in basis for personalized recommendations, services and advertising. LG said customers who do not agree to the applicable optional terms will not have their ACR information used for advertising purposes.

The disagreement between LG and the researchers centers in part on the difference between normal operation and what could happen if a television