LG ThinQ Terms of Use Raise Privacy and Legal Concerns

A review of the LG ThinQ Terms of Use by Hacker News user tedggh highlights several aggressive clauses regarding user privacy and legal rights. According to the post, LG's terms mandate individual arbitration for most disputes, effectively removing the right to court, jury trials, class actions, mass actions, and collective claims. Users are told their only alternative to these terms is to stop using the service, with claims generally required within one year.

Regarding data and privacy, the terms grant LG a perpetual, irrevocable, and worldwide license to commercially exploit user-submitted content for any purpose without payment. The post notes that LG explicitly states users have no expectation of privacy for voice, text, or in-app chat communications. Furthermore, voice-enabled products may record and analyze family members, children, guests, and bystanders; LG places the burden on the user to obtain necessary legal consent from these individuals.

The terms also indicate that third-party AI systems may utilize data derived from the use of LG products and services. Additionally, LG reserves the right to show targeted third-party advertising and bundles marketing consent—including automated calls and texts—into the use of the service, though users may opt out separately.

On the technical side, LG maintains the ability to push over-the-air updates without further consent and may change or discontinue features remotely. Finally, the terms attempt to cap LG's liability for many claims at the greater of $100, the amount involved in the transaction, or a statutory remedy, while broadly excluding responsibility for unauthorized access or lost data.