This is what I'm worried about.

Sooner or later we'll need regulation to prevent devices from requiring network connection.

I don't think we'll ever get it though.

More likely we will get regulation making smart, connected devices mandatory for one reason or another.

>for one reason or another.

energy consumption

I'd expect them to be more creative, but energy consumption's gonna do I guess

Let's set aside that regulation like that will come with a bunch of other stipulations which will capture the market for the incumbents...

There are unintuitive outcomes which could arise like: smaller companies might need to develop a product with access to the web to keep costs manageable, but larger companies, using their capital, are able to establish proprietary wireless connectivity (which is not the internet) that smaller companies are unable.

Peer to peer connectivity over public networks is a great asset for smaller companies with disruptive ideas, and this could destroy that.

> Peer to peer connectivity over public networks is a great asset for smaller companies with disruptive ideas, and this could destroy that.

I have no issues with a product having an option for internet connectivity, or even requiring it if it is a critical component of it's function.

Internet connectivity is not a critical component of my <dishwasher|washing machine|dryer|fridge|car>'s function however.

Yeah that wasn’t what I was arguing. There are some products which act based on real-time information from a network and without network access, would cease to function.

Big companies could also simply include their own networking equipment and data plan.

My understanding of the fake/non-mmWave 5G is it dramatically decreases cost for network operators. If that is true (please correct me if I am wrong), what stops tv manufacturers from including a tiny modem with its own gsm Internet connection that can do things like see if there is an update available or fetch weather information (based on included gps module)? Or the real reason, ads. They could even be simple text ads if network operators decide to charge a lot for data.

True, but I think the hypothetical from the GP was that internet connectivity must not be a requirement and I think 5G might be too close whereas something like radio clocks aren't. Perhaps a proprietary protocol and equipment would be different enough to allow companies to passively spy on their users. To stop TV manufacturers from including a tiny modem (proprietary or otherwise), language about what anti-consumer/anti-privacy behavior the network connection enables and why it shouldn't be a requirement for use, despite whether or not the network connection is fully funded by the manufacturer.

You should support organizations fighting for the user freedom, e.g., https://fsf.org.

Agreed.

But damn, that's a short list.

https://edri.org, https://eff.org. There are more.

>... and I suspect there will be a day where I cannot find a washing machine that isn't "smart"...

What's worse is you'll have to have a monthly subscription to their service or it won't work.

I bet there are people just salivating at the thought of all that MRR.

Our future is one in which we don't own a damn thing. We're all renters.

This is one of the topics of Cory Doctorow's sci-fi book "Unauthorized Bread."

I am already receiving targeted ads for what appears to be a roomba subscription