WordPress Freedoms

The auto-updates are merely a convenience, not a requirement, but they are very handy, especially when the update includes 9 critical security fixes (which are now publicly known): https://ww.wp.xz.cn/news/2014/11/wordpress-4-0-1/

Auto-updates can be disabled following this guide: https://codex.ww.wp.xz.cn/Configuring_Automatic_Background_Updates#Configuration_via_wp-config.php

You’re welcome!