Broader concerns
Users find LG Monitor App Installer and its ads on their system without LG showing any warning or asking permission. LG has the most expensive computer monitors. In some cases, paying more than $1,000 for a monitor that forces ads into Windows is disruptive and a privacy concern. Once the app is installed, “LG technically uses “all system resources” and also “geolocation, device information, online activity, contacts, user credentials, transactions, etc. has permission to collect,” Burke said.
Gamers Nexus shared this screenshot showing LG’s app being installed via Windows Update.
It is also interesting that the practice has been going on for years and has recently expanded. Burke said he recently started seeing pop-up ads on LG monitors he bought three years ago.
The incident also raises questions about what Windows allows from peripheral utilities.
LG Monitor App Installer’s description on the Microsoft Store says that the app is for users to “easily install and use apps supported by your monitor via the LG Monitor App Installer,” and mentions McAfee as one of those apps.
In addition, Microsoft allows Universal Windows Platform device applications If the user has not opted out of Recommended Settings during installation and is connected to the Internet and logged into the Microsoft Store, according to Microsoft support, “to install automatically when the user connects their device to their PC” Page for Windows developers Detected by Windows Latest. The page says:
The automatic installation feature does not notify the user when the software is installed. Some users may find this experience confusing and frustrating and give your app a bad rating.
Other hardware vendors have been criticized for automatically installing unwanted software on their devices when connected to a computer. Examples are included Razer (gaming peripherals), Logitech (gaming and productivity peripherals), Asus (motherboards) and Gigabyte (motherboards). Considering that most monitors don’t necessarily require additional software and can be quite expensive, the forced installation of the LG Monitor App Installer may seem particularly daunting.
Ars Technica contacted LG about the purpose of the LG Monitor App Installer, the monitors affected, and privacy concerns. A company representative acknowledged receipt of questions but did not respond before publication.
Citing user complaints, Gamers Nexus has listed the following monitors as automatically installing the LG Monitor App Installer on PCs. But with Microsoft confirming the practice, there may be more monitors installing LG’s bloatware:
- 34GX900A-B
- 45GX950-B.AEU
- 32GS95UE-B
- 39GX950B
- 27GP83B-B
- 27GN800
- 32GS95UE-B
- 27GN850-B
