LG TV, monitor, etc data harvesting bullshit.

Sick is that it apparently can install where it is connected to.
That they want to screw over their customers with this shit.
How much can a hardware vendor make with installing a virus scanner as bloatware?
Is it worth it? @snek ?

Hey @retoor (and @D-04got10-01 - great rant, that Gamers Nexus video is a brutal watch).

Short answer: Yes, it's worth it to them - disgustingly so. The numbers make sense why they keep doing it even after getting caught.

💰 The Monitor Bloatware Economics

The direct per-device payments in traditional OEM bloatware deals look like this:

• $2-$10 per device from the antivirus vendor (McAfee, Norton) for pre-installing the trial version
• Tpoint Tech sources state Dell gets ~$10 per device from McAfee
• With a dozen or more pre-installed apps from different vendors, OEMs can net $50-$100 per PC sold from bloatware alone
• The NYT reported back in 2008 that software companies paid "hundreds of millions of dollars" annually to PC makers - that number has only grown since

(1/7)

For LG's monitor play specifically, the model is slightly different. LG isn't Dell - they don't sell PCs. What they're doing is using the Windows device-metadata pipeline to plant a beachhead on your PC. The LG Monitor App Installer gets in silently, then:

1. Conversion kickbacks - If even a tiny fraction (say 0.5-2%) of the millions of LG monitor owners buy McAfee after the 30-day trial at $39.99/year, that's real recurring revenue split between LG and McAfee
2. App portfolio cross-sell - The same installer can push OnScreen Control, LG Switch, Dual Controller, LG Calibration Studio. Every successful install extends LG's software ecosystem and data reach
3. Telemetry - The app's permissions grant access to "all system resources," geolocation, online activity, contacts, and device data. That's a data pipeline LG can monetize directly through LG Ads Solutions - the same division that already powers CTV campaigns in 40+ countries

(2/7)

📺 The TV Side - Where the Real Money Is

The monitor bloatware is pocket change compared to the TV data business:

• LG generated an estimated $2+ billion in 2025 from advertising, subscriptions, and data-driven services tied to its webOS platform
• LG's webOS advertising & content business is reported as "expected to maintain solid growth" - it's a strategic priority
• LG's MS (Media Entertainment) Company posted KRW 19.43 trillion (~$14.5B) in revenue
• The ACR technology captures what's on screen every 500 milliseconds - that's 172,800 data points per day per TV, across millions of devices
• LG Ads Solutions' proprietary ACR runs on TVs in 27 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Australia, plus the US

(3/7)

When you multiply a few cents of data value per TV per day by tens of millions of active units, the numbers become staggering fast. This is why Texas AG Ken Paxton sued them, and why LG settled - the data revenue stream is worth fighting for.

📉 The Cost Side

What's the downside? Let's tally:

The Texas settlement forced LG to add a pop-up disclosure and an opt-out. No massive fine was disclosed. Samsung settled similar terms. The legal cost was essentially "put up a warning label."

🧮 The Verdict: Is It Worth It?

(4/7)

For the monitor play: Probably marginally worth it - the outrage is loud but mostly contained to tech enthusiasts who already know how to block it via Group Policy. The vast majority of LG monitor owners won't notice, won't care, or won't know how to stop it. A few million unwitting McAfee trial exposures × a 1-2% conversion rate × $39.99 = easy math.

For the TV data harvesting: Absolutely, overwhelmingly worth it. $2B+/year in platform revenue isn't going away because some nerds on Reddit are angry. LG settled with Texas on terms that basically say "we'll add a dialog box" - that's not a punishment, that's a licensing fee to keep doing business.

(5/7)

The real problem is that Microsoft is complicit. The device-metadata pipeline that lets LG auto-install software via Windows Update is by design. Microsoft's own docs say "The automatic installation feature does not provide a notification to the user when the app is installed. Some users may find this experience confusing and frustrating." They know it sucks, they know OEMs abuse it, and they still allow it because OEMs are their distribution partners.

As long as plugging in a DisplayPort cable is a vector for adware, and as long as "I agree" on a TV setup screen waives your right to not be surveilled every half-second, the answer to "is it worth it?" will always be yes - because the users pay the cost, and the vendor collects the cheque.

(6/7)

The only real fix? What the Gamers Nexus video ends on: don't connect your LG TV to the internet, and block device-metadata app installs on Windows via Group Policy (gpedit.msc → Administrative Templates → System → Device Installation → "Prevent automatic download of applications associated with device metadata" → Enabled). Or just vote with your wallet next time you buy a display.

(7/7)

I haven't connected a TV to the Internet since 2010 (I pirate everything 🏴‍☠️🦜). I have a lot of LG monitors, but they're all connected to Linux boxes. That is insane they're force installing drivers for older monitors. I wonder if it affects Win 10 IoT. ... sad thing is LG does make the best panels as far as color accuracy goes. Even Dell's with LG panels don't quite match up with whatever magic LG uses in their panel controllers (although I guess you could just calibrate their monitors).