“Designed to just harvest my data”: LG TV consumers discover the latest update downloaded Microsoft Copilot—and can’t be deleted
Consumers are frustrated to discover that a recent software update on LG smart TVs forced them to download Microsoft's Copilot with no option to delete it.
The complaints first gained traction on Reddit. There, people vented their frustrations over AI and tech companies trying to force people to use it in everything. Commenters shared similar stories from their own living rooms, with many saying the update crossed a line.
LG’s webOS update quietly added Copilot to home screens
According to users, the latest webOS update automatically installed Microsoft Copilot on certain LG TV models. After installation, the Copilot tile appeared to be pinned and couldn't be removed.
For many, the issue was not Copilot’s usefulness, but instead, the anger focused on the lack of choice. Another example was rival company Samsung's TVs, which included Gemini by default with no choice to opt out. Still, LG offered no clear option to remove Copilot entirely.
According to reports, "LG’s own support documentation notes that certain preinstalled or system apps cannot be deleted, only hidden." This means that the only way for people to remove Copilot is if they do a full factory reset. Additionally, they need to disconnect the TV itself from the internet, as some Redditors suggested.
Reddit users vented about forced AI features
Redditors did not hold back in their frustrated responses to the forced update adding the Copilot app to their TVs.
u/defjam16 shared a photo of the offending app tile, saying, "My LG TV’s new software update installed Microsoft Copilot, which cannot be deleted." As responses piled up, irritation turned into open hostility.
u/Orangesteel commented, "I’m beginning to actively hate Copilot. Login to 365, email? No. Calendar? Nope. Have Copilot. When something is pushed this hard, it begins to grate."
Others questioned the motivation behind the rollout. Redditor u/Billlington said, "They're still trying to figure out how to make money from AI, and the strategy seems to be 'we're putting it in absolutely everything, whether you like it or not.'"
Redditor u/LiterallyJoeStalin expanded on that idea. "The monetization is one aspect, but trying to drive user engagement is the other. People just aren’t using it as much as these companies need to be able to hit the 'pay us for it' level," they wrote.
Some comments had far angrier responses to the post. u/Satan-o-saurus ranted about tech companies, calling them "talentless conmen." They wrote, "It’s funny how tech companies have taught me to principally never install or opt in for any new features they try to make me use, ever. It’s literally always a scam/something that will make my user experience worse/something that is designed to just harvest my data or otherwise exploit me."
Finally, some users decided to opt out entirely. "My TV isn't even connected to the Internet," wrote u/MeatGayzer69. "Yes, I'll never get updates, but I avoid that crap."
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post “Designed to just harvest my data”: LG TV consumers discover the latest update downloaded Microsoft Copilot—and can’t be deleted appeared first on The Daily Dot.