LG Will Let TV Owners Delete Microsoft Copilot After Customer Outcry (theverge.com)
- Reference: 0180418625
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/12/18/217230/lg-will-let-tv-owners-delete-microsoft-copilot-after-customer-outcry
- Source link: https://www.theverge.com/news/847685/lg-copilot-web-app-delete
> Last week, a user on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit [5]posted an image of the Microsoft Copilot icon in their lineup of apps on an LG TV, with no option to delete it. "My LG TV's new software update installed Microsoft Copilot, which cannot be deleted," the post says. The post garnered more than 36,000 upvotes as people grow more frustrated with AI popping up just about everywhere.
>
> Both LG and Samsung announced plans to add Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant to their TVs in January, but it appears to be popping up on LG TVs following a recent update to webOS. [LG spokesperson Chris De Maria] clarifies that the icon is a "shortcut" to the Microsoft Copilot web app that opens in the TV's web browser, rather than "an application-based service embedded in the TV." He also adds that "features such as microphone input are activated only with the customer's explicit consent." There's no word on when LG will roll out the ability to delete the Copilot icon.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/news/847685/lg-copilot-web-app-delete
[2] https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/microsoft-and-lg-are-forcing-copilot-onto-smart-tvs-and-you-cant-even-delete-it
[3] https://www.techradar.com/televisions/your-lg-tv-may-get-an-unremovable-microsoft-copilot-app-in-its-next-update-and-yes-users-are-annoyed
[4] https://www.tomshardware.com/service-providers/tv-providers/lg-tv-update-adds-non-removable-microsoft-copilot-app-to-webos
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/1plldqo/my_lg_tvs_new_software_update_installed_microsoft/?
LG made me laugh, sadly. (Score:2)
From the article: LG says the company "respects consumer choice..."
What a fraking crock.
"respects consumer choice..." (Score:3)
If that was true, we would be able to delete Microsoft itself, and not just an app!
Re: (Score:2)
But they do. Especially when they choose Visio or Samsung.
No Worries (Score:2)
My LG TVs are only connected to the HDMI cable, I haven't given them the WiFi password.
Re: (Score:2)
Give them time. These asshats will figure out how to pump and dump that sweet private data through the HDMI cables (or port) if the TV has no Internet connection. Never underestimate the greed and underhandedness of technology companies.
Re: (Score:2)
Password? Why not adjust the antenna every time you get up to change the channel ? You can rotate those damned bunny-ears to receive or reject any content. The antenna of-course sits right beside the channel knob ...
Just the icon? (Score:2)
Delete the icon only? Does that mean CoPilot will still be snooping around in the background? Today's technology (and tech companies) sucks balls.
Haven't we seen this before? (Score:2)
Anyone remember the big hullabaloo about the IE icon installed by default on Windows computers?
Gemini:
"The "hullabaloo" about the Internet Explorer (IE) icon on Windows computers was centered on major antitrust lawsuits in the late 1990s, where Microsoft was accused of leveraging its Windows operating system monopoly to unfairly dominate the web browser market."
For all the anti-trusters out there, how'd that work out?
"In the late 1990s, Microsoft began including IE as a default, non-removable part of Window
Enshitification (Score:2)
Great! Now do the same of Office.
After they added copilot to the ribbon in all office apps I figured it how to hide it. Then, yesterday, office auto updated to add it back as a free floating button that cannot be hidden. I had to roll back to a previous version, and then disable auto update.
i get that some folks like using AI to do their work, but I donâ(TM)t. I should not lose useful screen space just so that MS can artificially inflate their copilot usage stats through dark patterns (basically p
Lucky Goldstar. Are you feeling lucky, punk?! (Score:2)
They'll always be "Lucky Goldstar" to me - their original name, and the most cheesy sounding name you can think of. Just like KFC will always be Kentucky Fried Chicken. And Lucky Goldstar would be lucky for me to even consider purchasing their wares... which I probably wouldn't. Anyway, with TVs, I treat them like I treat my Chinese-made CCTV cams - contained in their own private VLAN and firewalled off with no Internet access. I can pin-hole connections on my LAN router, if/when I ever need to. Generally
Not good enough. (Score:5, Insightful)
How about you let us "opt in" instead, so I don't waste my time, bandwidth, and electricity installing shit that I am going to want to immediately uninstall? Or are you counting on the fact that your software engineers are going to make the "opt-out" control impossible to find, and give big scary warnings that cause people to think twice so you can still maximize your data scraping?
Sounds like "opting out" of buying LG is still the right way to go.
Re: (Score:3)
Never a TV to the internet, and instead connect it to a computer with a free OS.
Re: Not good enough. (Score:2)
According to the article, the icon is just a shortcut to a web address, not a locally installed program.
Re: (Score:1)
i too have connected many SmartTVs to computers as monitors; without network connectivity they are the best value large format high resolution panels on the market. the absence of wake functionality commonly seen on monitors whereby you move the mouse to turn it on IS THE ONLY DOWNSIDE. no apps, not bullshit, just lots of pixels taking up my entire field of view.
how long until this final flaw is solved? i just want wake on mouse support without having to buy a custom CEC module per display; why the fuck hav
Re: (Score:2)
Ohh yeah, boikot the HDMI, if you can! We will not accept you, not give you the full spec. Know what? Your latest "protections" will be hacked, with little expense, hackers are smarter than you.
Re: (Score:2)
The irony is that webOS (LG via HP and Palm) has been available under an open source license.
I don't own an LG tv, so I can't vouch whether you can install your own customized distro.
( There was a community LuneOS fork for various handhelds - I tried it once on Nexus 4. But I'm not sure how current it is with respect to source code from LG.)