LG TV Copilot: WebOS Update Installs Without Permission

Some LG smart TV users complain that after installing a recent software update webOS they ended up with the installation of Microsoft Copilota service that cannot be removed in any way.

The icon of Copilot appears on the main screen (next to icons such as YouTube or Netflix) and is probably the result of some agreement stipulated between Microsoft and LG.

The first reports started on Reddit, followed by subsequent confirmations from users angry at LG’s decision.

The South Korean company in October this year reported plans to integrate Microsoft Copilot into webOS as part of updates for TVs presented from 2022 to 2024, designed to allow users to “enjoy an increasingly personalized user experience thanks to the integration of new functions that improve usability and enrich the available content”. Among the new features of webOS 25 are the functions AI Concierge e AI Chatertto simplify the discovery of new content and the management of settings, but also the integration of Microsoft Copilot, to “extend search possibilities beyond content on platforms”. With Copilot, users can ask the TV “whatever they want”, from organizing a weekend on a farm in Tuscany, to in-depth information on current affairs, all using natural language”.

A bad blow for LG’s image

What makes users angry is the forcing, to the point that many have flooded the South Korean company’s social networks with negative comments. At stake is, among other things, privacy managementtaking into account that these technologies necessarily leverage interaction with the voice and access to the microphone. The author of the post on Reddit reports, among other things, a new feature called “Live Plus” (enabled by default), presented as capable of recognizing the contents played, offering an improved viewing experience and personalized services including recommendations regarding content and advertising to be shown.