SerpApi.Org
LG display users are pushing back against two contentious policies. Some LG monitors are reportedly installing McAfee adware without users' permission, while smart TVs have a new policy raising concerns about recording people for AI purposes.
As Gamers Nexus and Reddit users have noticed, monitors like the UltraGear and UltraFine lineups will install not just LG's control app on Windows, but McAfee Scam Detector seemingly without asking. Automatic software installations aren't new (companies like Dell auto-install apps as well), but the McAfee software appears to be recent.
We've asked LG for comment and will update if we receive a response.
There is a way to thwart this behavior if you're unwilling to remove adware after the fact. You need to block downloads linked to device metadata using the following steps:
- Run gpedit.msc.
- Select Computer Configuration.
- Select Administrative Templates.
- Select System.
- Select Device Installation.
- Set Prevent automatic download of applications associated with device metadata to Enabled.
Should I worry about LG's TV privacy policy?
There are concerns, but it's not a new practice
Simultaneously, there are worries that LG's current Terms of Use for its smart TVs require that owners notify everyone in the room that the voice recognition system might capture and process their voices in line with local "wiretapping, eavesdropping, and privacy laws" while handling AI tasks. If you don't get consent, any inadvertent recordings are your responsibility, not LG's.
The Terms of Use don't indicate that any new recording is taking place. TVs from LG and others have included voice-controlled AI for years, and it's a staple functionality for smart speakers and displays. This is meant more to shield LG from liability if there's a breach involving recordings of nearby people.
As with other devices, though, the only way to abide by the terms is to disable the microphone or AI recording features. This is more about a broader resistance to AI data gathering and its consequences, including privacy and copyright risks. LG is just the latest to face flak over this concern.
