In the United States, digital and consumer rights advocates have called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against device manufacturers that render products unusable through software updates.
A Major Process Begins for Unusable Products
Activists are demanding an end to practices where manufacturers make devices, purchased by users, unusable through software updates or impose surprise fees after the product has been bought. As a result of this lawsuit, the issue of phones no longer receiving updates after a certain period may become a thing of the past.
This demand was brought to light through an eight-page letter sent by activists to the FTC. The letter mentioned a smart denim jacket produced through a partnership between Google and Levi’s, which could control Android devices via a special app. However, this jacket lost its functionality in 2023 when the app was discontinued.
With the announcements made by Nothing, the long-awaited Nothing OS 2.6 update for Nothing Phone (2a) has been released...
Similarly, Spotify’s “Car Thing,” an automotive infotainment device, became obsolete two years after its release, with no refund options offered to its users.
Consumer rights advocates involved in this initiative include organizations such as Consumer Reports, Electronic Frontier Foundation, tech repair companies like iFixit, and Software Freedom Conservancy. Environmental groups and computer repair workshops also signed the letter.
The letter calls for the FTC to establish clear guidelines preventing device manufacturers from restricting product functionality through software. Activists describe this practice as “software dependency.”
In summary, if this process results in favor of consumers, situations like phones becoming unusable due to a lack of software updates or surprise subscription models that demand extra fees could become a thing of the past. It remains to be seen how the process will unfold.
