LG smart TV owners woke up to a fresh firmware wave this month only to find Microsoft’s Copilot — an AI assistant many never asked for — sitting on their home screens with no obvious way to delete it, touching off a torrent of user outrage, privacy debates, and renewed questions about what manufacturers can change on devices after purchase.
Background
How we got here: Copilot moves to the living room
At major industry events and partner briefings over the last year, TV makers including LG announced plans to embed conversational AI into their smart-TV platforms. The pitch is straightforward: fold a cloud-powered assistant into the TV experience to speed content discovery, answer questions while you watch, and act as a bridge to smart-home controls and productivity features previously confined to phones and PCs. That initiative accelerated in 2025 as vendors raced to add headline AI features to new product lines.
For many owners of LG TVs the integration stopped being theoretical when a recent webOS over‑the‑air update began surfacing a
Microsoft Copilot tile across home screens. What has fanned the backlash is not simply the presence of Copilot, but the
inability—in reported cases—to uninstall it using the TV’s standard app-management controls. Users report the only visible option is to
hide the tile; uninstall or remove affordances are missing, and in some cases a factory reset restores the Copilot tile, indicating the app was pushed as a privileged system component rather than a removable user app.
Why this matters now
Smart TVs have been evolving from passive displays to networked hubs that collect usage signals and surface paid/promoted content. Adding a multi‑turn generative AI assistant to that mix raises a new class of concerns: beyond visual clutter and unwanted software, Copilot introduces questions about ambient audio capture, cross‑device profiling, cloud telemetry, and who controls post‑purchase changes to product behavior. The debate isn’t only technical — it’s about consumer expectations of ownership, privacy, and consent.
What owners are reporting
The user experience: from surprise tile to restricted controls
Owners across community forums and social networks describe a consistent pattern:
- A routine or prompted webOS update installs and reboots the TV.
- A Copilot tile appears on the home screen or within a new AI section.
- When entering the Edit/App Manage workflow, Copilot lacks the standard uninstall/trash icon; the UI offers hide or disable at best.
- Some owners who performed factory resets found the tile reappearing, suggesting the package is baked into the firmware image or installed as a privileged system app.
This combination—visible app plus missing uninstall option—creates the practical effect of
an unremovable app for most owners.
Reactions and practical workarounds
Many owners reacted with frustration and privacy anxiety; the most common immediate workarounds are:
- Hiding the Copilot tile so it is less visible.
- Keeping the TV offline (turning off Wi‑Fi) to prevent cloud interactions.
- Using router‑level blocking or DNS filters to impede the app’s network calls.
- Treating the TV as a "dumb display" by connecting an external streaming device and ignoring the smart features.
- Asking for a rollback or seeking manual firmware install files when available.
These are stopgaps. Hiding a tile doesn’t remove the software, and staying offline defeats most smart‑TV functions.
Technical anatomy: why it can be undeletable
Two packaging models that explain the behavior
There are common embedded/consumer‑electronics practices that result in modules the end user can’t remove:
- Privileged system package
- Vendors install components outside the user app sandbox and mark them as system apps.
- The app is managed at a different privilege level; the app manager shows only hide/disable rather than uninstall.
- A user‑level factory reset or app removal workflow won’t remove such packages.
- Firmware‑baked component
- The module is incorporated into the firmware image flashed to the TV.
- A factory reset or standard UI changes restore the original image, reintroducing the component.
- Removing the app would require a reflash with a different firmware — an operation rarely supported or recommended for consumers.
Both approaches are legitimate for functions that vendors consider integral (DRM modules, boot agents, system services), but they contradict many users’ expectation that apps should remain under their control.
webOS specifics and limitations
webOS is an embedded platform tailored to TVs; its app model and update channels differ from phone ecosystems. While user‑installed apps are typically removable via the UI, system components and firmware‑level additions are not. That aligns with owner reports that Copilot can be hidden but not uninstalled via the home screen app editor.
Privacy and security implications
What Copilot integration means in practice
A conversational assistant that helps with search, content discovery, and contextual tasks will typically involve:
- Microphone access for voice queries (on‑device activation, wake‑words, or press-to-talk).
- Local signal processing plus cloud calls for multi‑turn reasoning.
- Telemetry about queries, interaction flows, and possibly media context to improve personalization.
- Optional account sign‑in that ties interactions to a user profile.
Each of these expands the attack surface and options for data collection compared with a simple launcher tile.
Specific user fears
Owners worry about these scenarios:
- Ambient collection: whether the assistant could be listening beyond explicit activation. Many smart‑device controversies in the past arose when voice pipelines were active without clear user action.
- Cross‑device profiling: combining TV interactions with other data tied to a user’s Microsoft Account or smart‑home ecosystem could create richer behavioral profiles.
- Monetization and targeted content: an assistant could become another vector for sponsored recommendations or contextual ad insertion.
- Lack of disclosure: if permissions and telemetry flows are not clearly shown, users cannot make informed decisions.
What is and isn't proven
- Proven: Copilot has been offered to TV partners as a web‑embedded assistant and has appeared on a subset of devices via updates.
- Reported and plausible: users saw an unremovable tile and limited uninstall affordances; many community threads show similar experiences across model years.
- Unverified claims to flag: assertions that Copilot continuously records audio while the TV is off, or that it is shipping with telemetry that violates law, require technical forensics and vendor confirmation. Those are reasonable concerns but must be labeled as unverified until analyzed.
Consumer options: immediate and longer‑term steps
Short, practical actions for owners
- Hide the Copilot tile from the home screen using the Edit or App Manager UI.
- If you have privacy concerns, disable voice features in the TV’s settings (look for voice recognition, voice data, or personalization toggles).
- Keep the TV offline by turning off Wi‑Fi or unplugging network access when not using smart features.
- Use router/DNS filtering to block known telemetry endpoints if you’re comfortable managing network rules.
- Attach an external streamer (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast) and treat the TV as a passive display.
More technical / advanced options
- Check if your TV offers a downloadable earlier firmware image and official rollback procedure; many manufacturers don’t support rollbacks for consumer safety and warranty reasons.
- Use "developer mode" or specialized tools only if documented by the vendor; webOS has development workflows but they are not intended for uninstalling system components and can void warranty or brick devices.
- For network blocking, document the domains you block and be prepared for degraded functionality in other apps (some services share endpoints).
When to escalate
- Contact LG support and ask whether the Copilot package is removable, which firmware versions include it, and what telemetry controls exist.
- If you purchased the TV specifically for features removed or changed (e.g., Google Assistant deprecation earlier in the year), check consumer‑protection guidance in your jurisdiction about changes to product functionality post‑sale.
- If privacy regulations apply in your region, you can request vendor transparency about data flows, retention, and processing locations.
Business context: why LG and Microsoft are doing this
The incentive model
- AI features are marketed as differentiators that can help sell hardware and justify premium SKUs.
- Integrated assistants create ongoing engagement opportunities: recommendations, subscriptions, and cross‑selling.
- Partnerships give vendors immediate access to advanced AI without building from scratch; for Microsoft, embedding Copilot across screens advances a "Copilot Everywhere" strategy.
The risk calculation
- Forced installations and limited opt‑out may speed exposure and usage metrics in the short term, but they risk consumer trust and brand reputation if perceived as heavy‑handed.
- Regulatory scrutiny is an increasing risk: jurisdictions with strict data protection or consumer‑rights laws may question mandatory preinstalled capabilities that collect or transmit personal data without clear consent.
Legal and regulatory considerations
Consumer rights and "right to control" on devices
Laws vary by country, but the principle that a buyer should be able to control software on their purchased device is gaining attention. For example, persistent post‑sale changes that materially alter a product’s function have triggered complaints and regulatory action in the past.
Data protection and transparency
If Copilot collects personal data or voice inputs, transparency obligations typically require vendors to disclose what is collected, for what purpose, and with whom it’s shared. Where personal data is sent to cloud services, residency and transfer rules can be relevant.
Precedent and potential enforcement
- Regulators have fined or reprimanded vendors for opaque data practices in the smart‑device space before.
- A forced, unremovable assistant could become a test case if privacy advocates or consumer groups file complaints.
The user trust problem: why UI clarity matters
An unremovable tile is a small UX object with outsized trust consequences. Manufacturers can protect themselves technically by bundling components as system apps, but the customer experience is what shapes long‑term loyalty. Clear, upfront notice about major feature additions, granular privacy controls, and a straightforward uninstall path for nonessential extras are low‑cost trust builders that pay dividends.
- Transparency: show what the assistant does, what data it uses, and how to opt out.
- Control: give customers an uninstall or "do not install" option for add‑ons pushed after purchase.
- Granularity: allow users to restrict audio, cloud sync, and personalization independently.
These three principles would defuse many of the current complaints.
What vendors should do next
- Publish a clear, model‑specific FAQ explaining the Copilot rollout, whether the app is a system-level component, and which settings control its behavior.
- Provide a documented, supported method to uninstall or permanently disable Copilot for users who do not want it.
- Ship a privacy dashboard that shows exactly what voice, telemetry, and personalization data the assistant collects and offers one‑click toggles to stop collection.
- Offer a firmware rollback path or at least a way to opt out of non‑security, non‑critical feature pushes.
- If monetization agreements exist, disclose their basic outline in user‑facing materials (e.g., if personalization is used to present sponsored content).
How to think about future purchases
When buying a smart TV or any networked appliance, consider these habits to protect yourself from unwanted post‑purchase changes:
- Review the vendor’s update policy and privacy documentation before purchase.
- Prefer devices that expose clear permission controls and granular privacy settings.
- Keep an inexpensive external streaming stick on hand if you want to avoid platform changes.
- Consider whether a takedown or privacy‑first alternative (an OS that minimizes telemetry) better fits your needs.
Conclusion
The Copilot tile rolling onto LG TVs and resisting removal is more than an annoyance; it’s a flashpoint in the broader battle over post‑purchase control, transparency, and privacy in consumer electronics. AI features can add genuine value to screens—faster discovery, conversational assistance, and accessibility aids—but embedding them without a clear consent path or a proper uninstall option undermines user trust.
For owners today the safest immediate moves are pragmatic: hide the tile, disable voice features, and control network access. For the industry, the lesson is unmistakable:
convenience without consent is a brittle strategy. If AI assistants are to become standard living‑room companions, they must arrive with clear privacy controls, honest communication, and the option to leave when the customer asks them to.
Source: livemint.com
LG TV update might add unremovable Microsoft Copilot app, sparking privacy concerns | Mint