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 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/techsupport@lemmy.world

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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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[–] Thorry84@feddit.nl 58 points 4 days 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.

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 days 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.

[–] GrumpyDuckling@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

There's been quite a few class actions over this. A famous one is sony dropping the ability to install linux on the ps3.

[–] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 63 points 4 days ago (1 children)

My LG TV is not connected to the internet.

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

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

[–] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 36 points 4 days ago (11 children)

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

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days 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?

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 7 points 3 days 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.

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 days ago

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

[–] PleaseLetMeOut@lemm.ee 19 points 4 days ago

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

[–] Aphelion@lemm.ee 9 points 4 days 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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[–] lime@feddit.nu 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 3 points 4 days ago

That's precisely how we use it.

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[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago

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

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 7 points 3 days 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.

[–] itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 days ago

This. Treat it like a fancy monitor, and run whatever you need on an external device. You can use an old laptop or a newer raspberry pi

[–] fubarx@lemmy.world 25 points 4 days 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.

[–] Eeyore_Syndrome@sh.itjust.works 19 points 4 days ago

Offline.

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

[–] kindenough@kbin.earth 21 points 4 days 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.

[–] Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 19 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days 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.

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days 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! 🎶

[–] KingOogaBooga@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days 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.

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 days ago

I agree 100%.

And you speak like Rorschach in The Watchmen.

[–] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 3 points 3 days ago

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

[–] TheOSINTguy@sh.itjust.works 20 points 4 days ago

Disconnecting it from the internet should do the trick.

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Play porn 24/7

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

So just carry on as normal?

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

Stay the course captain

[–] Artemis@lemmy.ml 11 points 4 days 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).

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days 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)

[–] dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days 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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[–] GoatTnder@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (2 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?

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[–] DuskyRo@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (4 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.

[–] mybuttnolie@sopuli.xyz 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days 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.

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