Katarzyna Petru
LG and Microsoft have made a quiet deal, the effects of which are being felt today by owners of LG TVs - including the expensive OLED models. As part of the webOS system update, the Copilot AI app is being added to TVs and, most importantly, it cannot be uninstalled.
Update after the scandal
After a wave of criticism, LG informed the editorial team at The Verge that it “respects consumer choice” and “will take steps to allow the removal of the app shortcut.” It sounds nice, but without any timeline. For now, users are left with the problem. LG announced integration of Copilot with TVs back in January at CES 2025. Samsung made similar declarations. The reality is, however, there is no talk of any deep integration with the system.
Copilot on LG TVs is simply a shortcut app that opens the Copilot website. Nothing more. No AI magic. No real functionality.
Bloatware that you don't want
The app appears on LG TVs from the years 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and probably also older ones. You won't find it in the app store because it is installed remotely via a system update. According to Reddit and Engadget users:
the app cannot be removed,
it is treated as a system element,
it may collect user data,
it may have access to the microphone.
In short - classic corporate bloatware that nobody asked for, yet everyone has to tolerate.
webOS is turning into an advertising board
This is another step towards transforming webOS into an advertising and data platform, rather than a user-centric system. LG is following the exact same path as:
Amazon with Fire TV,
Google with Google TV,
Samsung with Tizen,
Roku with Roku OS.
Everyone is doing the same - more ads, more sponsored content, more data collection.
The best solution? Disconnect the internet. If anyone still needs an argument to disconnect their Smart TV from the internet, they've just received one. The TV should display images, not serve as a platform for AI experiments and user monetisation.
A much more sensible solution is an external device:
Apple TV 4K,
or another streaming box.
Such devices can still be controlled with the TV remote, but the user decides what to install, not the manufacturer in secret.
