A coalition of consumer groups is declaring war on "tethered" devices -- products that remain under the manufacturer's control even after they have been purchased by a consumer. They spelled out their concerns in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission.
“Manufacturers increasingly use software to lock us into only using our tech in ways that just-so-happen to generate the most profits for them,” Lucas Rockett Gutterman, Designed to Last Director with U.S. PIRG, said. “If we want to stop the tech industry from pushing us into replacing products that still work, we need to stand up for consumers’ right to get what we’ve paid for in the age of connected devices.”
Too often, consumers find themselves "stranded" with a product that will no longer do what it said it would, said Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at Consumer Reports. “Companies that sell connected devices must recognize their responsibility to the people buying them. The FTC should step up and ensure that businesses not only market these devices transparently but also decommissions them in a way that respects the consumer’s investment and trust.”
In May, for example, Spotify told people who had bought its $89.99 Car Thing device that support for the product would end in December 2024 — only 22 months after Spotify first sold the product. Initially, Spotify didn’t offer any sort of refund for device owners, but later did provide customers who complained refunds on their Spotify subscriptions.
Consumers should know upfront if their new product will stop working at some point unless they agree to pony up more cash, the groups said.
“Consumers need a clear standard for what to expect when purchasing a connected device. Too often, consumers are left with devices that stop functioning because companies decide to end support without little to no warning. This leaves people stranded with devices they once relied on, unable to access features or updates,”
Features locked up
One of the ways that companies may harm consumers with software tethering is by locking features behind a subscription wall after the purchase of a device. For example, Happiest Baby limited consumers’ ability to resell their product.
In July, customers who had spent $1,695 on a Snoo-connected bassinet, manufactured by Happiest Baby, discovered that some of the features that originally were advertised with the product would become part of a new, $19.99 monthly subscription, starting July 15. Customers who already had purchased the bassinet for those features don’t have to pay the monthly fee, but if they want to resell their Snoo or give it to others, the new buyers will not have access to those features.
Other times, companies “brick” a connected device, by using software to render it nonfunctional after purchase. This often leaves consumers with devices that no longer function, even if the consumer still wants to use the product, and it contributes to the massive amount of electronics piling up in our nation’s landfills.
“Nobody wants a drawer full of broken junk—that’s why we keep fighting for our right to fix everything. But too often, gadgets become expensive paperweights not because the hardware breaks but because companies ended software support,” Liz Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability at iFixit, said.
“Customers get left with no way to save or repurpose their hardware. It’s time for the FTC to step up and protect consumers from these shady, wasteful business practices,” she said.
“Letting one company totally control a product’s updates and features, and whether it works at all, causes huge harm to users, the environment, and the economy,” Denver Gingerich of the Software Freedom Conservancy said. “When we can fix our own devices, communities can make resources available to keep devices running securely for years or decades, from non-profit projects to independent repair shops to their neighbors across the street. We strongly support these recommendations to the FTC.”