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[Gamers Nexus] DO NOT BUY: LG’s Spyware TVs, Monitors, and Wiretapping Concerns
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recursive_recursion piefed.ca recursive_recursion@piefed.ca
Joined: 2025-06-06
(edited) Quote

DO NOT BUY: LG’s Spyware TVs, Monitors, and Wiretapping Concerns
323   Original
TropicalDingdong lemmy.world TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-29
#2 · Quote Reply

Is this how China was able to get the voter files, but somehow the federal government cant?

-5
mr_account lemmy.world mr_account@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-24
#3 · Quote Reply

My parents got a "smart" LG TV not too long ago, and I've been trying to make sure they keep it completely offline, but I have a feeling they're going to give in soon. Planning on trying out a Pi-Hole tomorrow on their network

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OberonSwanson sh.itjust.works OberonSwanson@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-07-16
#4 · Quote Reply

My parents got a "smart" LG TV not too long ago, and I've been trying to make sure they keep it completely offline, but I have a feeling they're going to give in soon. Planning on trying out a Pi-Hole tomorrow on their network

Keep it offline and don’t update it, Pi-Hole can help, but I wouldn’t count on it. I would also go with NextDNS. Suggest they get a device like an Apple TV and only use that. You can block most of LG’s domains router/DNS side.

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MalReynolds slrpnk.net MalReynolds@slrpnk.net
Joined: 2023-06-25
#5 · Quote Reply

Hey, 42% discount for Linux users !

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tired_fedora lemmy.ml tired_fedora@lemmy.ml
Joined: 2026-06-02
#6 · Quote Reply

John: We're not gonna make it, are we? People, I mean. Terminator: It's in your nature to destroy yourselves. John: Yeah. Major drag, huh?

Terminator: Judgement Day

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CoolSouthpaw lemmy.world CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-08-10
#7 · Quote Reply

Fuck LG. "Life is Good" my fucking ass.

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YouTalkinToMe lemmy.wtf YouTalkinToMe@lemmy.wtf
Joined: 2025-12-30
#8 · Quote Reply

Is this how China was able to get the voter files, but somehow the federal government cant?

Gold painted Trump-TV incoming

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TheFrogThatFlies lemmy.world TheFrogThatFlies@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-22
#9 · Quote Reply

Instead of complaining, can we begin a discussion around alternatives? Or could we install an alternative OS on the LG TVs or any of the alternatives? It's difficulty, if not impossible, to buy a non smart big TV.

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Mwa thelemmy.club Mwa@thelemmy.club
Joined: 2024-06-27
#10 · (edited) Quote Reply

Am probably not buying from LG again,
Even if its not a smart TV.

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파란솔 piefed.blahaj.zone paransol@piefed.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2026-03-20
#11 · Quote Reply

Is this how China was able to get the voter files, but somehow the federal government cant?

LG is South Korean corp

10
CorrectAlias piefed.blahaj.zone CorrectAlias@piefed.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2025-07-22
#12 · Quote Reply

Instead of complaining, can we begin a discussion around alternatives? Or could we install an alternative OS on the LG TVs or any of the alternatives? It's difficulty, if not impossible, to buy a non smart big TV.

You can just not connect it to the internet and use a separate device to connect to your media, such as an Nvidia shield or a small computer with similar power.

Luckily the shields allow for wireless adb, which gives you the ability to rip out all of the bloat and install custom launchers.

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Rothe piefed.social Rothe@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-08-25
#13 · Quote Reply

Instead of complaining, can we begin a discussion around alternatives? Or could we install an alternative OS on the LG TVs or any of the alternatives? It's difficulty, if not impossible, to buy a non smart big TV.

Don't connect it to the internet, but instead just use it as a monitor for a computer which you control.

I am sure they are working on ways to prevent that in the future with coming smart tv generations (the tech giants dreams of the subscription based cloud computer for every consumer instead of them actually owning a pc is definitley a step in that direction), but so far that is the perfect solution to maintain control and keep your tv dumb and anti-dystopian.

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alsimoneau lemmy.ca alsimoneau@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2023-06-18
#14 · Quote Reply

I just bought a commercial display as a TV, it's amazing!
No smart features, great clarity and brightness. Super durable, lots of nifty nerdy features.

200$ used for a 70"

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alexquiniou lemmy.zip alexquiniou@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-12-26
#15 · Quote Reply

Instead of complaining, can we begin a discussion around alternatives? Or could we install an alternative OS on the LG TVs or any of the alternatives? It's difficulty, if not impossible, to buy a non smart big TV.

Linus made a video about dumb tv. Yeah, you can buy it now ! (With some caveats)

https://youtu.be/LJh72_O4pXE

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Texas_Hangover lemmy.radio Texas_Hangover@lemmy.radio
Joined: 2024-11-09
#16 · Quote Reply

I just bought a commercial display as a TV, it's amazing! No smart features, great clarity and brightness. Super durable, lots of nifty nerdy features. 200$ used for a 70"

How's the refresh rate?

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username123 sh.itjust.works username123@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2025-07-06
#17 · Quote Reply

Gold painted Trump-TV incoming

Don’t give them ideas

4
DeLancre piefed.social DeLancre@piefed.social
Joined: 2026-07-04
#18 · Quote Reply

My parents got a "smart" LG TV not too long ago, and I've been trying to make sure they keep it completely offline, but I have a feeling they're going to give in soon. Planning on trying out a Pi-Hole tomorrow on their network
[deleted]
2
luipaard0011 lemmy.zip luipaard0011@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-08-02
#19 · Quote Reply

are LG fridges still good to go in EU at least?

1
GenosseFlosse feddit.org GenosseFlosse@feddit.org
Joined: 2024-07-03
#20 · Quote Reply

How's the refresh rate?

Shows 1 slide every 3 seconds!

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BlueOysterCultist lemmy.zip BlueOysterCultist@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2026-06-12
#21 · Quote Reply

Don't connect it to the internet, but instead just use it as a monitor for a computer which you control. I am sure they are working on ways to prevent that in the future with coming smart tv generations (the tech giants dreams of the subscription based cloud computer for every consumer instead of them actually owning a pc is definitley a step in that direction), but so far that is the perfect s...

I have an old micro PC connected to a smart TV and the only gripe is the occasional “terms of service” pop up if you fat finger a smart feature that can’t go anywhere (no internet)

It’s really great, plus makes it easy to watch media from a NAS

2
ArmchairAce1944 lemmy.ca ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2025-10-16
#22 · Quote Reply

The last time I bought a dumb monitor was in 2024. I won't be buying any for a long time.

5
deliriousdreams fedia.io deliriousdreams@fedia.io
Joined: 2025-11-01
#23 · Quote Reply

My parents got a "smart" LG TV not too long ago, and I've been trying to make sure they keep it completely offline, but I have a feeling they're going to give in soon. Planning on trying out a Pi-Hole tomorrow on their network

If you feel up to it there's the possibility of just lobotomizing the wifi on it. I did this with ours because I wanted to make sure it didn't get any updates after we bought it and it works fine.

2
XLE piefed.social XLE@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-23
#24 · Quote Reply

If LG violates wire-tapping laws, it's actually your fault.

from the LG EULA: You acknowledge and agree that it is your sole responsibility to obtain all necessary consent from any third parties whose voices may be captured by the product, and to notify household members and guests that their voices may be captured and processed in compliance with applicable wiretapping, eavesdropping, and privacy laws.

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cabillaud lemmy.world cabillaud@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-30
#25 · Quote Reply

are LG fridges still good to go in EU at least?

When you can't trust, it's over. For me, anyway.

5
AnUnusualRelic lemmy.world AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-06
#26 · Quote Reply

If LG violates wire-tapping laws, it's actually your fault.

That's probably only legal in the US.

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Evotech lemmy.world Evotech@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-10-11
#27 · Quote Reply

Fuck LG. "Life is Good" my fucking ass.

Lmao Gg

3
Krusty quokk.au Krusty@quokk.au
Joined: 2026-05-03
#28 · Quote Reply

Hey, 42% discount for Linux users !

100 percent discount for pirates, matey.

9
Krusty quokk.au Krusty@quokk.au
Joined: 2026-05-03
#29 · Quote Reply

How's the refresh rate?

Fish.

-2
America sh.itjust.works Gullible@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-08-09
#30 · Quote Reply

That's probably only legal in the US.

It’s not legal anywhere. But crime is legal in the US, so good luck getting anything done about it.

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observantTrapezium lemmy.ca observantTrapezium@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2023-06-30
#31 · Quote Reply

Looks like it's equally a Windows problem as it is an LG problem. Why the fuck are you automatically installing shit off the internet when peripherals get connected?

15
UndergroundParking lemmy.cafe UndergroundParking@lemmy.cafe
Joined: 2026-04-12
#32 · Quote Reply

Keep it offline and don’t update it, Pi-Hole can help, but I wouldn’t count on it. I would also go with NextDNS. Suggest they get a device like an Apple TV and only use that. You can block most of LG’s domains router/DNS side.

That's what pihole does. Blocks on DNS level.

4
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#33 · (edited) Quote Reply

This happened with my LG “dumb” monitor!

2020 35WN65C. Nothing smart about it, yet I got a “install Mcafee” popup out of nowhere, to my utter horror.

Well. I’ll never buy another LG display as long as I live. Great marketing there, LG.

It was a good reminder though. Been too long since I took a chainsaw to my Windows partition.

Look at that. It’s purge o’clock.

10
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#34 · (edited) Quote Reply

The last time I bought a dumb monitor was in 2024. I won't be buying any for a long time.

That won’t necessarily save you. My 35WN65C is from 2020, and I got the Mcafee popup.

All a manufacturer needs to do is register an old monitor in Windows Update, I think.

4
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#35 · (edited) Quote Reply

are LG fridges still good to go in EU at least?

I mean, just leave them offline?

And check reviews for every single model. It’s hard to generalize appliances by brand, as they all have lemons and bargains (and common trends, too).

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brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#36 · (edited) Quote Reply

Looks like it's equally a Windows problem as it is an LG problem. Why the fuck are you automatically installing shit off the internet when peripherals get connected?

It’s an abuse of the Windows Update “contract.” It’s supposed to be for installing drivers so devices function, but manufacturers have been abusing it to autoload bloatware for years.

8
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#37 · (edited) Quote Reply

I just bought a commercial display as a TV, it's amazing! No smart features, great clarity and brightness. Super durable, lots of nifty nerdy features. 200$ used for a 70"

That won’t save you if the manufacturer pulls the same shenanigans as LG, unfortunately.

If it’s old though, it’s unlikely they will.

4
btsax reddthat.com btsax@reddthat.com
Joined: 2025-12-31
#38 · Quote Reply

It’s not legal anywhere. But crime is legal in the US, so good luck getting anything done about it.

But crime is legal in the US

You have to be wealthy for this to apply to you

7
plz1 sh.itjust.works plz1@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2026-04-25
#39 · Quote Reply

That won’t necessarily save you. My 35WN65C is from 2020, and I got the Mcafee popup. All a manufacturer needs to do is register an old monitor in Windows Update, I think.

Yep, retroactive application of enshittification.

5
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#40 · (edited) Quote Reply

Instead of complaining, can we begin a discussion around alternatives? Or could we install an alternative OS on the LG TVs or any of the alternatives? It's difficulty, if not impossible, to buy a non smart big TV.

This isn’t just about smart TVs. Dumb displays and TVs hooked to Windows got hit by this too.

But:

  • There is no alternative OS for a smart TV.

  • Pretty much all TVs are smart these days.

The solution is to leave the TV disconnected from
the internet, and don’t run Windows. Which is quite doable these days.

9
Auli lemmy.ca Auli@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2023-06-17
#41 · Quote Reply

This happened with my LG “dumb” monitor! 2020 35WN65C. Nothing smart about it, yet I got a “install Mcafee” popup out of nowhere, to my utter horror. Well. I’ll never buy another LG display as long as I live. Great marketing there, LG. It was a good reminder though. Been too long since I took a chainsaw to my Windows partition. Look at that. It’s purge o’clock.

Serious a McAfee pop up oh no. You know there are false positives with anti virus espically since now they are looking for behaviours and not signatures.

-13
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#42 · (edited) Quote Reply

Serious a McAfee pop up oh no. You know there are false positives with anti virus espically since now they are looking for behaviours and not signatures.

I mean it was a popup to install Mcafee.
The LG monitor driver loaded adware; I don’t run Mcafee on Windows.

I traced it, and I know it was the monitor driver that did it. Thankfully. But I feared it was more serious malware masquerading as a Mcafee installer.

7
Auli lemmy.ca Auli@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2023-06-17
#43 · Quote Reply

Keep it offline and don’t update it, Pi-Hole can help, but I wouldn’t count on it. I would also go with NextDNS. Suggest they get a device like an Apple TV and only use that. You can block most of LG’s domains router/DNS side.

Block it at router level. Pihole nextdns are no different.

3
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#44 · (edited) Quote Reply

I think there’s some confusion in this thread.

This isn’t just about smart TVs.

LG also retroactively hit dumb TVs and dumb monitors, auto-installing a driver through Windows Update to load adware and who-knows-what-else. Dumb TVs are not safe, in this instance.

I know this because it hit me, just this month.

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mrgoosmoos lemmy.ca mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2025-03-24
#45 · Quote Reply

LG bricked my 5.1 sound system because their soundbar failed an automatic update. There is no way to restore the firmware.

fuck LG. never buying their shit again. completely anti-consumer.

15
diaphragmwp discuss.tchncs.de diaphragmwp@discuss.tchncs.de
Joined: 2026-06-03
#46 · Quote Reply

How's the refresh rate?

80000K Transcendent HD, 24FPS (perfect for most movies)

1
diaphragmwp discuss.tchncs.de diaphragmwp@discuss.tchncs.de
Joined: 2026-06-03
#47 · Quote Reply

This isn’t just about smart TVs. Dumb displays and TVs hooked to Windows got hit by this too. But: There is no alternative OS for a smart TV. Pretty much all TVs are smart these days. The solution is to leave the TV disconnected from the internet, and don’t run Windows. Which is quite doable these days.

Can't provide a source but I recall someone complaining about a TV connecting to passwordless Wi-Fi.

3
diaphragmwp discuss.tchncs.de diaphragmwp@discuss.tchncs.de
Joined: 2026-06-03
#48 · Quote Reply

Keep it offline and don’t update it, Pi-Hole can help, but I wouldn’t count on it. I would also go with NextDNS. Suggest they get a device like an Apple TV and only use that. You can block most of LG’s domains router/DNS side.

avoid evil corporation box with an evil corporation box

1
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#49 · (edited) Quote Reply

Can't provide a source but I recall someone complaining about a TV connecting to passwordless Wi-Fi.

That's awful, but also, don't have passwordless WiFi in your home.

If its your landlord or neighbor that does it, though, that sucks. I guess you could find where the antenna is on the TV and tape some foil to the area to block it? Or open it up and snip it.

1
Soapbox lemmy.zip Soapbox@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-06-04
#50 · Quote Reply

I mean it was a popup to install Mcafee. The LG monitor driver loaded adware; I don’t run Mcafee on Windows. I traced it, and I know it was the monitor driver that did it. Thankfully. But I feared it was more serious malware masquerading as a Mcafee installer.

So it installed it to windows? Not the monitor itself? I would be impressed if they pushed ads into the firmware to overlay like the monitor controls. As it is, sounds like its as much Microslop's fault as LG.

2
brucethemoose lemmy.world brucethemoose@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-22
#51 · (edited) Quote Reply

So it installed it to windows? Not the monitor itself? I would be impressed if they pushed ads into the firmware to overlay like the monitor controls. As it is, sounds like its as much Microslop's fault as LG.

Yes, it installs to Windows.

Nah it didn't change the monitor or do anything to it. Windows Update just installs the adware when it sees the monitor's ID.

This has been going on forever with other components, like "gaming" motherboards, laptops and mice. But this is interesting because they retroactively did it to my plain-looking 2020 monitor. And Microsoft is in an awkward position here, as the manufacturer can claim these blobs are absolutely necessary to run the hardware.

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