Broader concerns
Users have been finding LG Monitor App Installer and its ads on their systems without LG displaying a message or asking for permission. LG has some of the most expensive computer monitors available. Paying, in some cases, more than $1,000 for a monitor that ends up forcing ads into Windows is harmful and a privacy problem. Once the app is installed, “LG technically has permission to use ‘all system resources,'” as well as “collect geolocation, device data, online activity, contacts, user credentials, transactions, and more,” Burke said.
Gamers Nexus shared this screenshot showing the installation of the LG app via Windows Update.
It’s also concerning that the practice has been going on for years and appears to have only recently expanded. Burke said he recently started seeing the ad pop up on LG monitors he bought three years ago.
The incident also raises questions about what Windows allows in peripheral companion applications.
The description of the LG Monitor App Installer on the Microsoft Store states that the app is for users to “easily install and use apps compatible with your monitor through the LG Monitor App Installer” and lists McAfee as one of those apps.
Additionally, Microsoft allows Universal Windows Platform device apps “to install automatically when the user connects their device to the PC” if the user has not opted out of Recommended Setup during installation and is connected to the Internet and signed in to the Microsoft Store, according to a Microsoft Support Windows developer page detected by Windows Latest. The page says:
The automatic installation feature does not provide a notification to the user when the application is installed. Some users may find this experience confusing and frustrating and give your app a poor rating.
Other hardware vendors have been criticized for devices that automatically install unwanted software when connected to a computer. Examples include Razer (gaming peripherals), Logitech (gaming and productivity peripherals), asus (motherboards), and gigabytes (motherboards). Considering that most monitors don’t necessarily require a companion app and can be quite expensive, force-installing the LG Monitor App Installer may seem particularly egregious.
Ars Technica contacted LG about the purpose of the LG Monitor App Installer, the affected monitors, and privacy concerns. A company representative acknowledged receipt of the questions but did not provide a response before publication.
Citing user complaints, Gamers Nexus listed the following monitors as LG Monitor App Installer that are automatically installed on PCs. But with Microsoft’s approval of the practice, there may be more monitors installing LG bloatware:
- 34GX900A-B
- 45GX950-B.AEU
- 32GS95UE-B
- 39GX950B
- 27GP83B-B
- 27GN800
- 32GS95UE-B
- 27GN850-B
