Microsoft pressures LG into disabling unwanted McAfee ads
Microsoft intervened to stop Windows 11 users with LG monitors from being bombarded with McAfee trial pop-ups, leading LG to agree to immediately disable the notifications.
Microsoft has pressured LG into disabling annoying McAfee trial pop-up ads that appeared on Windows 11 PCs after connecting an LG monitor.
The issue stemmed from the LG Monitor App Installer, which was silently installed via a Windows driver update without explicit user consent. Once installed, it displayed large pop-up ads promoting McAfee antivirus and other LG apps. Complaints about this auto-installation date back to 2024.
Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft's Windows chief, announced that after Microsoft's intervention, LG agreed to immediately disable the McAfee pop-up from its LG Monitor App Installer. Davuluri pledged that Microsoft will continue to improve the situation with its ecosystem partners.
In a statement, LG defended its practices, claiming that McAfee is never installed automatically and requires user consent. However, critics argue that the installation process lacks transparency and proper user authorization.
This is not an isolated case. The Verge's Tom Warren noted that Dell similarly auto-installs an Alienware Command Center app when Alienware monitors are connected. Additionally, LG has been criticized for showing ad notifications on its TVs at startup.
