I was gifted this particular appliance, but the solution is really to just not give companies like this your money. Unfortunately it's easier said than done, but looking for things with a local API or based on an open and configurable standard are a good start.
I'll add Haier and related companies to my ever growing blacklist because fuck them for this.
I vehemently support people doing what they want with the things they own so long as it's not "interfacing" with other people or their stuff; don't connect to or "abuse" their cloud systems, they can rightfully be upset about that, but removing their crappy smarts (and data collection) and replacing it with local-only is your own business and companies like this can get lost.
They have no right to be upset about that. They sold you a requirement to connect to that cloud. If they don't want anyone connecting to their cloud, then don't sell cloud connected junk.
Emotionally, ethically, morally, sure. Legally? We'll see how this shakes out, I guess.
But yeah - this is one of the reasons why nothing in my home is smart. I fully can't bring myself to trust any company to not eventually fuck me, either intentionally, or by going out of business and bricking some C&C server, or by selling themselves to some assholes.