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FTC Pushed to Crack Down on Companies That Ruin Hardware via Software Updates
We’ve noted for years how you no longer really own the things you buy. Whether it’s smart home hardware that becomes useless paperweights when the manufacturer implodes, or post-purchase …
Now a coalition of consumer groups, activists, and lawmakers are pushing the FTC to crack down on “smart” device manufacturers that suddenly pull support for products or make them less useful — either by simply removing features or hiding them behind annoying new subscription paywalls. While the FTC has taken some limited actions with regard to this issue, a lack of clarity and enforcement has led to anecosystem where consumers cannot reliably count on the connected products they buy to last. For example the FTC launched an investigation into Google’s decision to turn Revolv smart home hardware into useless crap but then took no substantive action and implemented no meaningful consumer reforms.
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