Audited 267k queries on my LG G1 after the Gamers Nexus video — built an open-source blocklist that stops telemetry WITHOUT breaking Netflix/Apps

Hey everyone,

Like many of you, the recent Gamers Nexus / Level1Techs investigation into LG TV telemetry and ambient network scanning made my stomach turn. I own an LG G1 OLED, and while I adore the display panel, I refused to let it silently harvest data in the background.

Instead of unplugging the TV entirely, I spent the last couple of days doing an empirical deep-dive:

– 44,800 network packets audited via Wireshark

– 267,000 DNS queries analyzed

– Isolated and mapped ~36 LG domain families

The biggest frustration with existing "smart TV" blocklists is that they break the LG Content Store, Netflix logins, or app updates, forcing people to disable the block.

To solve this, I built an open-source, evidence-based blocklist split into two clean tiers:

1. SAFE (Recommended): Blocks Automatic Content Recognition (ACR / Alphonso), home screen ad banners, telemetry beacons, and voice reporting. Streaming apps (Netflix, Prime, Disney+, YouTube) and the LG App Store keep working 100% normally.

2. STRICT: For rooted or privacy-hardcore users. Blocks OTA firmware updates, ThinQ cloud sync, and LG Channels.

Every single domain in the source list includes an inline annotation explaining what it does and the packet evidence behind it.

Repo: https://github.com/furkan-bayrak/lg-tv-blocklist

Critical PSA for LG owners:

During testing, I found that webOS daemons frequently try to query hardcoded DNS resolvers (like 8.8.8.8) directly, bypassing local router DNS settings. If you use Pi-hole or AdGuard Home, make sure you block or redirect outbound Port 53 / 853 at your router firewall!

I’m looking for fellow OLED owners (C1, C2, C3, C4, G4, etc.) to test it on their setups. If you find any false positives or missing endpoints, please submit an issue or PR so we can keep this maintained for the community!