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Hint for Microsoft:
- Display drivers don't need access to the network
- Display drivers don't need to write to the window manager
- Display drivers just need to display the data that needs displayed
- If you sign a driver, you take responsibility for it. Else just leave people run any driver they see fit
This is the MVP comment.
When you have a carpenter visiting you don't announce they can go into your kids' rooms (for reasons unrelated to the job is) and what not -- the [default] contract is they're there to do a job and their privileges go only as far as the job requires, they normally also ask you first time where your toilet is, although we all agree they can use it. It's a contract, formally and less so, and things work when the contract is abided by. The carpenter also can't say they had the right to the cookie jar on your kitchen counter just because they were working there.
By not implementing such a contract with code, Microsoft has shown negligence. And they have had _decades_, so it's likely a "business decision".
Given all the spyware MS has built into Windows itself, this is not negligence it’s what they want.
Whilst it's preaching to the choir, I would attribute 50% of the blame to Microsoft. Loading any old thing and running it is not very responsible.
I'd argue closer 75%. Vendor abuse of this is hardly restricted to monitors, even if this is one of the more egregious cases.
Microsoft doesn't police IHVs -> Geeks: "MS is negligent!"
Microsoft does police IHVs -> Geeks: "MS is an evil monopolist!"
It’s as if nothing was learned from AutoRun CDs and the like.
No, this is LG making a choice to abuse an OS feature in order to shove ads down people's throats and spy on them.
What a dirty, scummy move. Never buying an LG product again.
(Also a Linux user, so this doesn't affect me, but this is gross.)
I have an LG TV that I've never allowed to connect to a network, and I'm definitely keeping it that way.
50% is a bit much. People do expect their hardware to just work. That means installing drivers and the like. And the act here is so egregious that I can't imagine being an LG engineer and living with the shame of being so incredibly despicable.
I'm disappointed with Microsoft, I'm incensed at LG.
The difference is you can remove the LG adware without any serious downsides. Removing auto-installing drivers would have serious downsides for the average person (meaning not cyberspace experts on forums such as this).
Over/under on the use of coinstallers as a mechanism with a "special" USB stick with a certain VID/PID pair to download a Microsoft-sanctioned "break into this machine" driver?
... to maybe go with that Yellowkey Bitlocker bypass?
Tinfoil hats, I know.
It's getting really hard to find a solid, reputable brand of screen manufacturers that don't pull this kind of crap. I swore off Samsung screens after their popup ads in phones and TVs. LG was my next choice but this is deterring me even further.
What about DELL? The Dell UltraSharp lineup seems to be pretty solid. I am planning to get one once my LG Monitor dies.
At what points do ads just stop being effective? We're so saturated with them in every part of our life that I wonder when we just stop noticing the contents
What about BenQ?
Discussions:
LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48956688
Update: Microsoft responds to LG monitors installing McAfee ads on Windows
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/microsoft-responds-t... (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49028024)
I decided I would never buy an LG monitor after mine broke and I had it shipped back three times for diag and repair. Each time it broke again soon after. They finally agreed to RMA it, but that didn’t mean a new replacement, it meant a refund, and not even for the whole price I had paid. Unfortunately the price had gone up a few hundred dollars since then, so I couldn’t even buy a replacement. This basically means they sold me a junk monitor I had to deal with for a year and then tried to get me to give them an extra $300 to roll the dice that the next one would work properly. I bought a BENQ instead, and it’s been solid.
> I decided I would never buy an LG monitor after mine broke ...
Sheesh it's bad luck.
I've got an ultra-wide 38" LG monitor since 2017. Nearly 10 years and that thing is used daily and still running strong.
That sucks. I've used an LG UltraFine 5K with my Mac Studio for years and still consider it one of my favorite tech purchases ever, so I feel lucky I've never needed their support services.
They for a few years had 4K panels that would “blow out” in the corners over time, worse they where a panel supplier to other vendors (including Dell), of the three 4K lg monitors I had two had it happen but the last one I bought didn’t and they apparently fixed the issue at some point.
It was super annoying because their support was useless.
It put me off LG but as they do make panels for others they are hard to avoid.
I would simply disable windows update. It always seemed insane to me that the solution to preventing RCE was to open an RCE channel to basically every provider that has installed a driver or an application on your machine.
Each auto-update is by definition remote code execution.
I've disabled Windows updates since 2017. Occasionally, I'll hit a feature I have to update for, like Windows Mixed Reality, and then pull that specific feature update. I think back in 2021 I had to update to the 2019 version of Windows 10 for that. I used uupdump to download what I needed and install it offline.
All the fiascos lately about Microsoft completely bricking and destroying systems with terrible updates just reinforce my original decision.
Note that I'm not at all hostile to updates in general. I'll update my Mac as soon as one's available, even to unstable betas, because it automatically reopens my apps and doesn't lose a bunch of state like Windows does. I'll also update my iPhone and iPad. It's really just Microsoft that I don't trust and never have.
When I got a new PC desktop, I decided to give Windows 11 a chance, and it's not bad. I hated for a while that the UI feels like just a ripoff of ChromeOS, but eventually I got used to it. I only update the minimum amount necessary when anti-cheats decide my old files are no longer trusted (looking at you, ARC Raiders).
If only disabling windows update were simple nowadays. This isn't the sort of thing that should require people to have to mess around in the registry just to not get spied on
Just stay on Windows 10 and it will be disabled for you!
So: Dell, BenQ, Asus (ProArt/ROG)?
Choosing wisely doesn't prevent any given manufacturer from adding crap like this in the future. They might not push out adware today, but nothing seems to stop them from doing so in the future.
That's what makes the LG controversy uncomfortable to me: the McAfee ads were pushed out years after some owners purchased their monitors.
Which is something that should just be jail-time-for-decision-makers illegal. That tech companies think they retain some kind of ownership over things they have sold needs to end.
I was about to comment in wonder that people deliberately download and install hardware-related craplets deliberately, which is something my parents would do. (Creative Labs used to be very bad about this.) Then I realized there's now a (MS-approved!) mechanism by which devices can just ask Windows "Hey, mind installing this silently for me?".
Ghastly.
I have an LG monitor... and while running Linux, will definitely not be buying another... this is ridiculous. I've been weary of "smart" TVs for a long while, WTF do you need a microphone on a TV?!?
If I buy a TV and it doesn't work without connecting to the internet, I'm simply going to return it. Changing this after the fact should mean a class action lawsuit. It's ridiculous, and MS should absolutely restrict this kind of crap... They (Microsoft) auto-load the software for Logitec mice and cameras as well, but at least they (Logitech) aren't injecting ad/spyware.
Keen to hear other recommendations. My DELL screen is working quite nicely but has weird burn in problems when connected through a Thunderbolt dock. What other brands (apart from the insanely priced Apple screens) still make high quality, reputable screens?
I have had good success with my dell montiors over the years. Only problem is they are not created equal, they sell to every level, entry/cheap office/gamers/high end docks/color calibrated/etc. I have stuck to the ultrasharps (and paid for it) but have been happy. Check out https://www.rtings.com/
Is there any hdmi dongle that can be used to mitigate this?
Linux mitigates this ;)
I never liked LG, but I had to buy from them. They're the only ones that make (made) monitors in this format. 2560x2880 (16:18)
LG 28MQ780
https://image.coolblue.nl/624x351/content/8841411d2a3b31f142...
I would totally prefer to buy something without spyware. But so far I have not found a good alternative to my 42" C-series OLED. You do have to carefully configure it to not phone home, but besides that (and some minor problems with peak brightness), it's great. If there was a non-spyware replacement, I'd buy it.
Best thing I've done - monitor wise - is buy a 2019 iMac 5k and convert it to work as an external display. Such a beautiful display. Only downside is once you go 5k it's very hard to go back to any lower resolution. I ended up converting a (much cheaper) 2015 iMac 5k for use in the office.
LG monitor works perfectly fine on my mac studio. Feels like Microsoft should be doing business differently.
Same day after I saw this story, I noticed a new unfamiliar system tray icon, and it was the installer for this thing! It hadn't installed yet, and I was able to remove it, but I guess I have to replace one of our house monitors now.
I'm in the same boat. Given many of the other brands do this as well, what options do we have for monitors and TVs?
In fact, what I really want is just a display. They can keep their “smart” stuff; I'm not interested.
Wasn't it LG that got caught uploading viewing behaviour/stats to a unsecured FTP server from their TVs?
They are one of the cheapest somewhat ok brand for a reason I guess..
Why analog monitors is better. Harder to install spyware.
So called by the industry "Smart devices" are dumb for privacy reasons.
I have the same dual 32" LG setup at home and the dayjob, and have never had any issues or any requirements to install anything for them to work. That said, they're QHD, not 4k or 5k, and probably 6 years old. I'm not a gamer or a high-fidelity consumer, needing the displays to be dumb and reliable at rendering text and the web.
I’d not use Windows
This comes down to shitty vendors.
LG monitors are not behaving idiotically on Linux. Just saying.
> In what timeline is this acceptable behaviour by a fucking monitor to tell it’s manufacturer what [naughty] video you’re currently watching?
But LG already did that 10 years ago. If you didn't care then, why do you care now?
"Smart" = "Ads"
Aah yes Temufication.