It seems LG monitors are abusing the Windows functionality that autoinstalls drivers and applications linked to a peripheral to install a service application that has full access to everything in the PC (probably runs as System, yay security) and collects all sorts of information. It also has the power to show you ads from their delivery service (currently is showing mostly McAfee, the mark of the Beast) and gives you popups when the PC starts.
This rollout started with newer models like the 34GX900A-B but seems to be spreading to older LG monitors as well.
This kinda reminds me of Asus or Gigabyte using the same system to deliver their bullshit board/led management application (ArmoryCrate for Asus I think), which at least it’s just unsecure bloatware and not just straight up spyware and adware
For obvious reasons, this does not work outside of Windows. I’m not aware MacOS having a similar functionality, Linux distros don’t have it either.
In related news, LG TVs have added a popup to inform their customers that they need to make sure they inform everyone in the household and have the paperwork to prove they gave consent for the TV using the microphone to record their voices.
For a while now they have been doing that and capturing a screenshot of what is shown on screen every 500ms and sends it over to the mothership for data harvesting and creating a profile for advertsing. Perfectly normal stuff, now where did I put that 1984 book…
See the full video from our reporter in the trenches, Steve from Gamers Nexus.
