this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2025

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LG is rolling out a new terms of use and privacy policy agreement. Looking pretty ugly over here with my "Smart TV". What can I do? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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It seems to be related to some advertising push from a partner named Alfonso that is gathering information cross-platform anything that appears on your screen and pushing advertising to you during playback.

Hopefully not, but that's what it looks like from early reading.

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[–] [email protected] 63 points 1 week ago (1 children)

My LG TV is not connected to the internet.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Very smart. Do you live alone? My family is down with the sickness.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 week ago (11 children)

The TV is essentially used as a dumb monitor and has an Apple TV and Chromecast plugged into it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

I've got a Fire in the back of mine which I want everyone to use, but everyone just uses the LG interface except me.

Of course it screws up all the time, and when it does my first question is, "Hey did you try what you're doing on the Fire plugged into the back to see if it worked on that?"

Not like I love the fire either, but pick your poison, right? Apple, Amazon, Google, LG. Which large tech company would you like to milk your information?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago

Sounds like it's time to block the TV from the network and just play dumb lol

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (5 children)

They'll never use the LG interface again if you just block its Mac adresses from your router.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I have an old laptop running LibreELEC (literally) strapped to the back of my TV. With a PC connected remote it works great.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

That's the way we do it, Dave! Making fire with sticks!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

does the fire stick have the ability to wake the tv up? in that case, just hide the TV remote.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

That's precisely how we use it.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Time for a Pi-Hole or similar if you don’t already have one.

[–] [email protected] 58 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is one of my pet peeves. With these modern internet connected devices, manufacturers can just change the terms and conditions on you after you've made the purchase. OK, so would it be fair to say I can also change the terms and conditions, like for example this devalues my product and I want part of my money back?

It's such bullshit, especially with something like a phone or a TV, the software is a big part of why I select a certain device to purchase over another. I then want that devices to behave exactly like when I purchased it. Being connected to the internet means it requires regular updates for security. But these days that also means fucking with the features and the EULA, I hate that shit.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Didn't some very clever person send a company his own change of terms and conditions? I think I remember something like that.

I wish I was an extremely smart lawyer type person and could jack them up like that myself.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 week ago

Pihole block list for TVs: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Perflyst/PiHoleBlocklist/master/SmartTV.txt

If your router supports blocking, you can just do it manually one by one and see when things break.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago

My LG, and all other TV’s in my home are disconnected from the internet, because of ACR and ads. I use a seperate setup box. I did have a pihole blocking most of the smart tv telemetry, but I still did not trust the smart part of my tv.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago

Disconnecting it from the internet should do the trick.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Read carefully, most of those do not need to be accepted or agreed to.

Always assume they are trying to trick you into thinking you have to agree to new legally optional features.

The good news is, even if you did accidentally agree to them, you can revoke it deep in the settings menu.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Thank you, I already got that good advice from another awesome person like yourself! Not only was I able to avoid falling for their trap, but I unchecked some options I had apparently checked in the past!

The ole Lemmy reversearoo!!! Thanks as always,

🎵 I get by with a little help from my friends! 🎶

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago

Offline.

Mostly just use my Kodi/Shield setup+my 4kUHD player.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It looks like you only have to agree to the first two options, if I'm reading correctly. Definitely second the pi-hole option if that isn't the case though...super easy to find telemetry domains based on what still works after blacklisting something (you can also find lists online).

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Oh my that really helped, thank you so much.

I really was freaking out there thinking I had to agree to all that crap.

A 100% explore the pi-hole thing. Plus why don't we all become multi-billionaires by selling TVs that just TV? And toasters that just toast? Smartphones that do things that you put on them, but don't do things that you don't?

How about we start a company that makes shit that does what it's supposed to do and doesn't do extra shit? (...And encourage an active and open plug-in community)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (7 children)

There are two problems with scaling back to the old way of doing things: 1) enshitification and 2) endless seeking of upward growth and profit.

This case is especially egregious since it's not an extra thing that made this TV look like a good deal at Target/BestBuy/whatever. Instead, it's a secondary way for LG to directly monetize your use of the appliance (ads and data). So, they've all but given up trying to make a better or more cost-effective TV and are just figuring out how to charge you rent for it instead.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Glad it helped! I just factory reset my Sony Bravia the other day so it's fresh in my memory. Agree on all fronts! Couldn't live in today's world without my pi-hole 😅.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Play porn 24/7

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So just carry on as normal?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Stay the course captain

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

My LG CX has been blocked from the network for years, starting from the instant the fucker popped up some notice about some shit that wasn't relevant to the TV displaying content.

Get that shit airgapped. Use a Steam Deck or an old PC tower or laptop to take over for the builtin stuff.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I use a Roku and the Roku remote instead of the TV one. The Roku remote has power, volume, and mute buttons that control the TV. And that's really all you need. Is there a similar remote for Fire Stick?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yep, it's very similar to the Roku, which I also have on other TVs and have used in the past on this one, but the fire also has the ability to sideload akp apps and can be a lot more versatile than the Roku.

I have retroarch loaded on my fire, and I can grab a Bluetooth controller and play some old Nintendo if I want. Took a little configuring, but I enjoy that kind of thing.

At first I will tell you the fire has a very ugly interface. Lots of banner advertising at the top and looks very messy and crowded. You just have to get used to the ugly. It's no Roku in that respect. Roku is much cleaner.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

I like them because they're so cheap. Plus SmartTube is the only way I can bear to watch youtubes on the TV anymore.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Disconnect from the internet. Buy Mi Box S 2nd gen & update it. Root it(optional). Debloat, install Kodi, SmartTube or Stremio. I recommend FLauncher for alternative launcher.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Tried this mi box a few years ago and I couldn't figure it out.. It was like crippled android. Couldn't find the apps that I wanted, keyboard didn't have my language available so I was missing characters that I need to access my smb share where I would have had the apks. Got mad and threw it out the window. Went looking for it the next day as I wanted to return it, I'm poor so I can't waste money like that, but my neighbor was outside just yelling something about his car's windshield, so decided to stay indoors. The next day it was gone, so I bought a used cheap mini pc, installed mint on it and been using it with a remote that has kb and trackpad, 5/5.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yar, matey! I'll be looking into these suggestions!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Any tv box will do but with this box you can retain root while still having Widevone L1 & Dolby Vision

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you buy the TV and they don't watch your shit. then change TOS to watch your shit. They should refund a percentage if you return the TV. They changed the deal after the fact. Should be illegal.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

...Stop using the "smart" services...? Yeah, definitely that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This seems like the kind of data that can easily be added to a PiHole or Adguard Home blocklist, just need to find out which endpoint they are.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

That's what i do. I'm not super tech savvy but pihole is pretty simple to set up

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I have my LGs connected, but logged out.

It's a hassle in that it requires to log in and then back out for mandatory updates of some apps (others will update without a logout, for some reason), but at least it removes the need to agree to a whole bunch of their garbage and add it to an identifying account.

I would keep it offline and use a set-top box, but I have family members that aren't tech savvy and won't want more hassle than pressing the "Netlfix" button on the remote.

I'll say that even they are increasingly annoyed at the constant cookie prompts during live TV watching. Honestly broadcast TV is an absolute hellscape these days.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Honestly broadcast TV is an absolute hellscape these days.

As a former broadcaster, I just want to point out that actual broadcast TV is the one place you won’t get this. Plug an antenna into the back of your TV and you’ll get the signals from your local station with none of the tracking. It’s a one-way street; the transmitter antenna pumps the signal out from however many miles away and gets nothing back from you. Your local station probably prefers that you watch that way or on a traditional cable box (cable companies usually have to pay the local stations); they don’t really get much from you watching a streaming service. The streaming services like Peacock or Paramount+ let the networks largely bypass the local stations.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (12 children)

No, you absolutely get this.

Maybe because cookie warnings are mandatory here, I am PAINFULLY aware of when the layer of TV malware is pulling info to go along with the TV broadcast. I dismiss advertising cookie warnings in three separate TVs on a daily basis. Once per channel, even. It's incredibly obnoxious.

For the record, the data mining is not happening over the broadcast. It's the TV software that is pulling watch data and then repackaging along with the broadcaster and selling it to advertisers. I know because they are mandated to disclose it, so they make me read about it a dozen times a day.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

What else would you use to watch? I used to have my TV offline and watch through a Firestick and airplay, but now the Firestick is worse than the TV apps. I need a new media streamer, but even Roku has enshittified. At this point my only hope is Apple but Apple TV hasn’t been updated in three years

…. Or I might just give up, since Netflix decided my TV is not part of my household so I need a 2fa every time I want to watch.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Still very happy with the shield pro. Old as sin but does everything.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

You're asking the wrong person. I mostly watch stuff on a Windows tablet. I'm hardly your prototypical media consumer.

But when I do want to watch something on a nice screen it's an LG or Samsung TV where I haven't logged in and turned on as many privacy settings as possible. Mostly I use a local Plex server, and I do have a Windows PC hooked up to a TV as a media center and gaming device.

IMO there isn't a "good experience silver bullet" thing out there. You're navigating like three layers of advertising datamining on all options, including straight-up live broadcast TV. At this point it's about mitigation. I should give a pihole a try and see what that does to the TVs. If I could at least kill the need to manually opt out of live TV cookies every time a family member tries to watch something that'd be a major win.

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