3mo ago

LG monitor asking about ad tracking preferences

x.com x.com

It. Is. Never. Enough.

You paid hundreds of dollars for a new monitor, but it doesn't matter. More ads, more profits.

I hate it.

101 comments

Later or Agree
No Disagree option
A rapist mentality.
- As with all these services, the "disagree" option is "stop using our devices and services" which really should be illegal when it's tied to hardware you already bought it and the terms changed after the fact.
  
  I wonder how things would go if they made you agree to the terms before being allowed to purchase it.
  People bring it to the till, and then just hand it back saying nope.
  
  I bought an LG microwave a few months ago to replace a dead 10 year old Sharp. My favorite "features":
  The sticker on the door stating that by using the microwave I agree to LG's TOS, including binding arbitration.
  The single 4 minutes and 30 seconds of use I got out of it before the magnetron broke.
  When I returned it they customer service person asked if I wanted it serviced under warranty -- hilarious. Bought a Panasonic instead.
  
  It's our hardware so we should be able to select another provider or host our own. Not that I consider ad tracking a "service".

Nope.
Back in the box and straight back to the store.
- Like that's the only thing we got left people and that's why they are making returns such a bitch now

Returning is not enough. Boycotting is not enough. We need to be marching on the FTC and Congress with torches and pitchforks about this shit!

This just makes me think of every thread complaining about smart tvs and every comment saying "just buy a monitor!"
- Indeed...
- Or projector.

This needs to go viral and be posted in reviews for every monitor with this "feature". Heck, make a convenient warning icon indicating "adware" for such reviews so I can scroll past them faster.
No way I'm risking buying a TV or monitor from LG after seeing this. It would go right back in the box to be returned.
- Once it's established as a way to make money, everyone will add it.
  Don't be surprised to see it added to the GPUs at the output level, just in case you think any screen manufacturers will hold out.
- The warning icon should be a purple monkey.
  
  You know I've not seen a bonzibuddy in a long long time.

Wait, so the monitor has some sort of network capability?
I assume it’s full of streaming apps or something and they just also added this fun ad junk to it.
- Generally, we (sadly) see smart monitors come up like smart TVs did ten years ago.
  Some noteable features include streaming apps (netflix...) and wireless screen mirroring from phones.
  
  Wow, this is useless!
  Seriously, who the hell use Netflix on a monitor when you have a literal pc connected to it that is way better.
- I suspect that this is a smart TV being used as a monitor.
  
  It says "Smart Monitor" right there in the pic.
- Both HDMI and DisplayPort feature USB/Ethernet data link capabilities, and obviously USB-C does as well.
  This is dependent upon the version of the cable, and all other hardware involved, but this is well within the bounds of available ad/surveillance tech.
  
  Yeah but what functionality does it provide to the monitor?
- Their TV does but I'm not sure how it works with monitors. Maybe it's just hardcoded ads in their software. I don't see how the monitor can have a network connection..
  
  Yeah it’s odd, maybe the monitor has a sort of usb-c -over-displayport ethernet adapter ?
  
  Ethernet over HDMI Ethernet over display port Ethernet via thunderbolt They could probably do something tricky with a driver and serial over HDMI
  I don't know about this one but several LG monitors actually have Wi-Fi built in.
  Of course, If it was using Wi-Fi you could just not connect the Wi-Fi. But some manufacturers are getting smart and are able to use open networks to call home. You could open it up find the antenna and short it out directly to the ground plane

I would return that shit immediately. There is absolutely no use for smart functionality in a computer monitor. I would suspect it's a TV sold as a monitor and will have the same issues as using a TV as a monitor.

I was so pissed when I realised most of the feature on my smart monitor were disabled by disallowing network connection. especially when those features where present on my non smart monitor. Things like dual input so having two devices over HDMI / DPI display on separate portions of the screen was fine on my old lg ultra wide but on the new smart ultra wide it is disabled all because I won't agree to they're terms.
- This should be illegal. That functionality has nothing to do with accepting ads.
  This is really upsetting to see them get away with this.

I would call legal and IT. It's outside the scope of my role to accept contacts on behalf of the company.
- IT here, Plesse don't involve us... We don't want to to deal with this bs either
  
  IT here, Yes, by all means involve me. I will buy a second monitor and plug it into a known box that is no business going anywhere. I will then block, at the network firewall level, any outbound traffic to anything that thing talks to. If it uses its own MAC address at the head end I will then collect and publish every connection that thing tries to make outside to a blacklist and provide it to the public.
- Full page ads on the monitor for you with love from IT.

Some of my favourite monitors have been from LG but these days I get by just fine never buying any of their products and I will continue to do so. Eat shit, LG.
- Why? What made you go from favorite monitors to "eat shit"?
  
  This very thread

That's tragic, LG monitors used to be great.
- Honestly Korean brands are just not options anymore, between the ads from LG and Samsung, and the spying by Hyundai and Kia there's simply no reason to buy their products.
  
  Don't literally all car manufacturers spy on everyone all the time to an ungodly degree? Not saying it's a good thing, but Kia and Hyundai aren't different here.

Why on earth have you let your monitor access the internet
- It's hooked to a Mac, so most likely on Thunderbolt which would allow it internet access with the video feed. So it's possible they didn't have a choice. (This isn't limited to Mac though)
  
  So now we just need a MAC filter with a wild card at the firewall?
  No more LG products in this house.
  
  That's fucked up...
  
  Do they make thunderbolt cables that support only video, but not network access?
- Why on earth buy a "smart" monitor. It is a computer. There is a smart device attached by definition.

Seeing the word "smart" in a device description has become a warning flag.

Haha, that's almost impressive. But no, I will not be buying an LG monitor now.

Louis Rossmann has LG as an anti-sponsor. He calls them out for their bullshit in some of his videos.

LG is on my total boycott list. Samsung, HP, LG.
- I bought an HP printer and God damn it.... Never, ever buy a hp printer, and specially if you run Linux.
  
  Brother is the way to go
  
  I have a HP printer that works perfectly fine on Linux. But it's from 2015.
  
  Why? Doesn't This exist, ik the hp forcing the software thing yes but is it bad on linux bcs of the software?
  
  My HP printer/scanner works ok with HPLIP but my next buy will be a Brother laser printer or combo.

Report it as a bug. No matter if it was on purpose, a TV displaying ads is malfunctioning, they have to fix it.

Why is it on the network anyway?

I've kept mine disconnected from the internet. I worry eventually that they will force it to be online to be used.
- They can't if it's never connected to the internet.

Here is a private frontend for anyone who doesn't wanna access twitters awful site:
https://xcancel.com/snwy_me/status/1847396175961641176/

damn Telescreens

Looks like it has smart functions, so same software as their TVs and you can actually just decline terms but some functions won't be available. It's not just one chcekbox so you can have some smart functions for some privacy. It's one of the better solutions. Anyway without internet there cannot be any tracking or ads so as a monitor it has just fancier osd.

Smart Monitor is the same as a Smart TV, not surprised

Someday in the future even our toilets will all be connected to the internet
- Analyzing your poo for your safety.

Me the second I read this: FUCK. THAT. 😠

I see sceptre recommended as a provided of dumb devices, although they also have smart ones.

Wtf??! Wow

A monitor is an output device. It cannot transmit or operate on a network. (inb4 ethernet over HDMI: There is no implementation of the spec in the wild).
If there's any ad tracking, it would have to be in your display driver on the PC.
- Welcome back from the coma, I’m glad you made it through. We have Thunderbolt and USB-C now.
- Unfortunately we are not living in the age of CRT monitors being connected over D-Sub anymore.
- (inb4 ethernet over HDMI: There is no implementation of the spec in the wild).
  How about Thunderbolt? This looks like macOS, and while I'm not 100% sure if they utilize HDMI ports anymore, they certainly use Thunderbolt.
  
  Does Mac OS automatically allow random connected devices outbound traffic to any?
  
  Does Mac OS automatically allow random connected devices outbound traffic to any?

101 comments