Microsoft talks LG into removing McAfee adware from its... monitors

LG came under fire earlier this week after it emerged that it was automatically installing bloatware when you connected its monitors to your PC. What made matters infinitely worse was that the app in question displayed McAfee pop-ups on your desktop whenever you started up your computer.

Now, Microsoft executive Pavan Davuluri has announced on X that LG has agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up in their app. Check out a screenshot of the tweet below.

This move came after Gamers Nexus first reported on the bloatware in question. The outlet found that connecting one of several monitors to a Windows PC, including the UltraGear 34GX900A-B (with a launch price of $1,200) resulted in the PC automatically downloading and installing the LG Monitor App Installer program. This program reportedly displayed a McAfee pop-up whenever users started up their computers. The outlet also expressed concern at the blanket privacy policy associated with the offending app.

While we’re glad to hear that LG will disable the McAfee pop-up, this doesn’t actually address the root problem of peripheral makers automatically downloading and installing bloatware on your PC without your consent. The vast majority of monitors are plug-and-play affairs that work fine without additional programs. So I would’ve liked to see Microsoft and LG offering a prompt to install these types of programs in the first place.

Either way, the saga might not be over yet. Gamers Nexus noted that it was working on a follow-up story with some “disturbing” findings regarding LG’s products.