Re:Smart homes will turn dumb overnight as Charter kills sec...
by TeMPOraL on Saturday January 18, 2020 @10:32AM
(#22084936)
> The manufacturer should never be able to either deactivate or otherwise disable the functionality of a device they sold in a form that requires a service to function.
I would go further: IMO, the manufacturer should never be able to sell the device that requires a service to function, period. They should only be able to either a) sell the device that can be optionally tied to a service - not necessarily manufacturer's - but otherwise works fine without it, or b) rent a device as a part of a service, remaining responsible for its maintenance.
Model a) is how cell phones work - you buy a cell phone, a cellular connection is a separate service provided by multiple competing parties that are not the manufacturer. Model b) is how ISPs tend to work - they lend you hardware to connect to their network infrastructure, they replace it if it breaks, they take it away at the end of the contract, and they absolutely refuse to let you use their hardware with a different ISP.
I would go further: IMO, the manufacturer should never be able to sell the device that requires a service to function, period. They should only be able to either a) sell the device that can be optionally tied to a service - not necessarily manufacturer's - but otherwise works fine without it, or b) rent a device as a part of a service, remaining responsible for its maintenance.
Model a) is how cell phones work - you buy a cell phone, a cellular connection is a separate service provided by multiple competing parties that are not the manufacturer. Model b) is how ISPs tend to work - they lend you hardware to connect to their network infrastructure, they replace it if it breaks, they take it away at the end of the contract, and they absolutely refuse to let you use their hardware with a different ISP.