Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Category:Lockdown Browser

2026-06-19T05:51:40Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: +cat

[[Category:Software]]

Lockdown Browser

2026-06-18T08:39:46Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Fix incomplete notice

{{Incomplete}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=Respondus Inc.
|ReleaseYear=2016
|InProduction=No
|ArticleType=Product
|Category=Software, Web browser
|Logo=Lockdown-browser-logo.png
|Website=https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/
|Description=LockDown Browser is an academic examination software that locks down the student's computer during an exam.
}}[https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/ Lockdown Browser], or LockDown Browser, is a custom web browser that locks down a student's computer during an exam, it often is integrated with learning management systems, such as [https://www.instructure.com/canvas Canvas], [https://www.powerschool.com/products/classroom/learning-management/ Schoology], etc.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2026-06-17 |title=LockDown Browser Resources |url=https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/resources/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241002160459/https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/resources/ |archive-date=2024-10-02 |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=Respondus.com}}</ref> The first documented version released in 2016<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-29 |title=LockDown Browser Version History |url=https://respondus.com/support/ldbverhist.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129214919/https://respondus.com/support/ldbverhist.php |archive-date=2020-11-29 |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=Respondus.com}}</ref>, and it grew in relevance during and after the Covid-19 Lock-downs<ref>{{Cite web |title=Google Trend - Searches on LockDown Browser |url=https://trends.google.com/explore?q=lockdown%2520browser&date=all&geo=Worldwide |url-status=live}}</ref>.

Lockdown Browser integrates with Respondus Monitor. The former is mainly responsible for preventing students to access their computer during exams, and the latter is mainly responsible for monitoring the students during examinations. The restriction of access include disabling of browser toolbar, windows feature (such as print screen, accessing computer's tool bar), the ability to exit the application, the ability to power off the computer, keyboard functions, and more.<ref name=":0" />

==Impact-Summary==
{{Incomplete section}}

===Student Privacy===
According the Respondus's Privacy Policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-12 |title=Privacy Center |url=https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260530053053/https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |archive-date=2026-05-30 |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=Respondus.com}}</ref>, LockDown Browser access many private information depending on institutional policies, such as using facial recognition, "internet and network activity information," screen captures, and etc. Researchers like Balash et al. call softwares like Lockdown Browser to be "invasive monitoring tools" and surveyed privacy concerns amongst students<ref>Balash, D. G., Kim, D., Shaibekova, D., Fainchtein, R. A., Sherr, M., & Aviv, A. J. (2021, June 10). ''Examining the Examiners: Students’ Privacy and Security Perceptions of Online Proctoring Services''. ArXiv.org. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2106.05917</nowiki></ref>. Further, in Ogletree v. Cleveland State University<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ogletree v. Cleaveland State University |url=web.respondus.com/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/Doc-50-Amended-Opinion-and-Order-Ogletree.pdf. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/ohio/ohndce/1:2021cv00500/275187/37/}}</ref>, the U.S. District Court concluded the following:<blockquote>Based on consideration of these factors, individually and collectively, the Court concludes that Mr. Ogletree’s privacy interest in his home outweighs Cleveland State’s interests in scanning his room. Accordingly, the Court determines that Cleveland State’s practice of conducting room scans is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.</blockquote>In response to the ruling, Respondus gave the following statement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-14 |title=Our Take on the Ogletree Ruling |url=https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811075746/https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |archive-date=2025-08-11 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref> as it updated its own privacy policy and terms of use:<blockquote>Respondus has taken several steps to help universities strengthen their online testing policies. First, it has added the following paragraph to the boilerplate text that universities often use for their portion of the Student Terms of Use for Respondus Monitor.

''If your institution or instructor permits you to use Respondus Monitor at a non-university location, you agree to select a location that meets any and all university guidelines. If the location you choose is a home or personal environment, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace to be recorded by video and audio and then analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''

Similar text has been added to the Terms of Use section that is between Respondus and the student:

''If you are using Respondus Monitor at your home or in a personal area, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace area to be recorded by video and audio and then to be analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''</blockquote>Others criticize that the LockDown Browser creates stress for students and fails to create academic integrity amongst privacy issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cuevas |first=Heidi |date=2025-07-18 |title=Student Perspective: Lockdown browsers create anxiety, not integrity |url=https://panthernow.com/2025/06/18/lockdown-browsers-create-anxiety-not-integrity/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260316083625/https://panthernow.com/2025/06/18/lockdown-browsers-create-anxiety-not-integrity/ |archive-date=2026-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Margaret |date=2021-03-11 |title=Lockdown Browsers: Protecting Integrity or Invading Privacy? |url=https://cuatower.com/2021/03/lockdown-browsers-protecting-integrity-or-invading-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241117121331/https://cuatower.com/2021/03/lockdown-browsers-protecting-integrity-or-invading-privacy/ |archive-date=2024-11-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Swauger |first=Shea |date=2020-08-07 |title=Software that monitors students during tests perpetuates inequality and violates their privacy |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260518134137/https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ |archive-date=2026-05-18 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Sean |date=2020-12-02 |title=Lockdown Browser is bad software and should be scrapped |url=https://mytjnow.com/2020/12/02/lockdown-browser-is-bad-software-and-should-be-scrapped/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930200501/https://mytjnow.com/2020/12/02/lockdown-browser-is-bad-software-and-should-be-scrapped/ |archive-date=2022-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Critical Analysis of Respondus LockDown Web Browser |url=https://osuosc.org/events/2008-10-17-critical-analysis-of-respondus-lockdown-web-browser/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelley |first=Jason |date=2020-08-20 |title=Proctoring Apps Subject Students to Unnecessary Surveillance |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/08/proctoring-apps-subject-students-unnecessary-surveillance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260520222519/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/08/proctoring-apps-subject-students-unnecessary-surveillance}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pham |first=Vivian |date=2021-04-30 |title=Lockdown browsers fail to create a culture of academic integrity |url=https://retriever.umbc.edu/2021/04/lockdown-browsers-fail-to-create-a-culture-of-academic-integrity-they-invade-student-privacy-and-harm-student-health/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251005194426/https://retriever.umbc.edu/2021/04/lockdown-browsers-fail-to-create-a-culture-of-academic-integrity-they-invade-student-privacy-and-harm-student-health/}}</ref>

===User Freedom===
In terms of freedom, aside from browser restrictions, the decision for students to opt out of LockDown Browser lies not with Respondus but varies between institutions. The following is the Opt-Out policy from Respondus Monitor's student Terms of Use:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-15 |title=Terms of Use - Respondus Monitor (Student) |url=https://web.respondus.com/tou-monitor-student/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260123114802/https://web.respondus.com/tou-monitor-student/ |archive-date=2026-01-23}}</ref><blockquote>d. OPT-OUT. If you cease to agree with these Terms, or the privacy and security policy below at some point in the future, you may opt-out by contacting your Institution. However, opting-out may affect how you will need to complete your course, and your Institution makes no representations regarding how it will affect your relevant course or any ramifications from opt-out (e.g., you may not be able to complete the requirements of such course). As such, we encourage you to speak with your instructor before opting out.</blockquote>

===Business Models===
Respondus primarily markets LockDown Browser towards educational institutions as their direct customers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LockDown Browser - Pricing |url=https://web.respondus.com/k12/lockdownbrowser/pricing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260330061906/https://web.respondus.com/k12/lockdownbrowser/pricing/}}</ref> The end users for LockDown Browser are the students, and the surrounding monitoring tools are primarily used by test proctors, whether they be hired proctors, instructors, teaching assistants, or otherwise. However, this had led to the concern that end users are not involved in the decision process in software that may negatively impact their computer (see incident).

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Consumer Rights Wiki talk:Draft policy on the inclusion of positive consumer-focused acts and practices

2026-06-17T20:53:08Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Any thoughts? */ Reply

==Any thoughts?==

What works? What might cause problems further down the line? What's been overlooked? [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 13:28, 15 June 2026 (UTC)

:Can we at least mark positive articles on the CRW? It'd be confusng if someone new just clicked 'Random page' and saw what looked like some promotion. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 14:47, 15 June 2026 (UTC)
::I guess the questions there are:
::1) how would we handle mixed articles, and
::2) how would we indicate them - a small article notice at the top? [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 18:42, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
:::1) Indicate sections with a tiny 1-line notice
:::2) A small article notice at the top with a category. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 20:53, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
:I have a few thoughts as a more casual editor, I hope they're helpful
:*On the EA Command and Conquer example, releasing source code is often suggested as a way to preserve games after their online servers have shut down. The original online servers are long gone for C&C, so I'd argue that example could belong here. (I'd agree it doesn't belong here if it's a purely offline game however)
:*Requiring at least two incidents for a company to have an article seems unnecessary. It creates the odd situation where a positive incident can have an article, but the company itself cannot. (In those situations it seems better to just have the incident detailed on the company page?).
:*On non profits, GrapheneOS seems like an example of one that ''does'' belong here, because the organisation tends to be quite vocal about privacy and other rights.
:[[User:RobotToaster|RobotToaster]] ([[User talk:RobotToaster|talk]]) 14:47, 15 June 2026 (UTC)

2026-05-26T18:52:16Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Broken archive link? */ Reply

==Regarding removal of ASUS router related privacy issues==

Why have been those lines removed?? I OWN an ASUS router and this action is highly impacting user privacy. Of course there are no quotations, as those are being shown by the router itself. [[User:Norbert79|Regards, norbert79]] ([[User talk:Norbert79|talk]]) 17:56, 7 May 2026 (UTC)

:Pinging @[[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]]. — [[User:Sojourna|Sojourna]] ([[User talk:Sojourna|talk]]) 02:07, 8 May 2026 (UTC)
::Since the editor didn't say a word since, i vote for restoring my entries. It's a valid privacy concern. [[User:Norbert79|Regards, norbert79]] ([[User talk:Norbert79|talk]]) 13:07, 16 May 2026 (UTC)
:::As SinexTitan appears to have gone MIA, I'm going ahead and rolling back their edits. However, please refer to the [[Consumer Rights Wiki:Wiki content policies|wiki content policies]] regarding original research and verifiability. Also, avoid using first-person pronouns such as "I", "my", "we", etc., when writing an article (see {{Wplink|MOS:I|Wikipedia's page}} if further guidance is needed). — [[User:Sojourna|Sojourna]] ([[User talk:Sojourna|talk]]) 22:23, 16 May 2026 (UTC)
:this' a brand article, not incident. under the incidents section we include a summary of the incident and a link to the incident's page for further reading. that is where we nitpick the privacy policy and state how they're impacting user privacy in as much detail as possible. I intended to migrate that section to a dedicated incident article but the citations that were present were not archived and have disappeared. I also couldn't find any online discourse to reference either, and hence removed it completely. regardless of it, the formatting isn't great and just makes the article harder to comprehend and sluggish.
:if valid citations are found (a screenshot can work too), then it needs to be moved to an incident article and the formatting cleaned up. till then I'm reverting the undo. [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 15:15, 19 May 2026 (UTC)

==Broken archive link?==

This link seems broken, it doesn't load on my end https://web.archive.org/web/20260223005409/https://community.intel.com/t5/Graphics/High-ACPI-sys-DPC-Latency-gt-34-000%C2%B5s-on-new-ASUS-ROG-Strix-Scar/m-p/1724004 [[User:Linka|Linka]] ([[User talk:Linka|talk]]) 17:41, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

:Same. You can remove it if you want. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 18:52, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:Futurehome Smarthub mandatory subscription fee

2026-05-26T07:34:58Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* adrians futurehome github?? */ Reply

Signal

2026-05-20T16:49:11Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: -stub

{{ProductCargo
|ReleaseYear=2014
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Cloud, Privacy
|Website=https://signal.org/
|Description=Signal is a privacy-focused, open source encrypted messaging service.
|Logo=Signal logo.svg}}

'''{{Wplink|Signal_(software)|Signal}}''' is a privacy-focused, open source encrypted messaging service developed by the nonprofit Signal Foundation. Signal was released in 2014<ref>{{Cite news |last=Matthias |first=Meg |date=2 February 2024 |title=Signal |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Signal-app |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/C0lMd |archive-date=7 Apr 2026 |publisher=Britannica}}</ref>, and has over 70 million active users reported as of 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Curry |first=David |date=7 January 2026 |title=Signal Revenue & Usage Statistics (2026) |url=https://www.businessofapps.com/data/signal-statistics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0408-0405-58/https://www.businessofapps.com:443/data/signal-statistics/ |archive-date=7 Apr 2026 |publisher=Business of Apps}}</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}
===Freedom & Privacy===
According to the Signal Terms of Service and Signal Privacy Policy<ref>{{Cite web |title=Signal >> Terms of Service & Privacy Policy |url=https://signal.org/legal/#terms-of-service |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/aiPy8 |archive-date=7 Apr 2026}}</ref>:
*A user agrees to the Signal Terms of Service by using Signal services (includes visiting Signal websites) even if the user does not accept the terms.
*Signal is not required to notify users of any future changes to the Signal Terms of Service or Signal Privacy Policy. As well, continued use of Signal services constitutes agreement to the new terms, even if the user is not aware that there were changes.{{citation needed}}
*Signal expresses maximally limited liability for any damages that may be caused.
*Signal may share information to authorities to comply with law.
*Signal may share information with third-parties, which are bound to ''their own'' privacy policies.

==Incidents==

===Signal cloud backups===
In 2020, Signal was accused of collecting and storing sensitive user data on their cloud database without user consent.{{citation needed}}

[[Signal messenger|Signal]] states on their website that they can't "read your messages or listen to your calls, and no one else can either."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Signal |url=https://signal.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222135458/https://signal.org/ |archive-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=[[Signal]]}}</ref><blockquote>"We’ve designed the Signal service to minimize the data we retain about Signal users, so the only information we can produce in response to a request like this is the date and time a user registered with Signal and the last date of a user’s connectivity to the Signal service.

Notably, things we don’t have stored include anything about a user’s contacts (such as the contacts themselves, a hash of the contacts, any other derivative contact information), anything about a user’s groups (such as how many groups a user is in, which groups a user is in, the membership lists of a user’s groups), or any records of who a user has been communicating with."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2016-10-04 |title=Grand jury subpoena for Signal user data, Eastern District of Virginia |url=https://signal.org/bigbrother/eastern-virginia-grand-jury/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302042109/https://signal.org/bigbrother/eastern-virginia-grand-jury/ |archive-date=2 Mar 2025 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=[[Signal]]}}</ref></blockquote>

In 2019, Signal previewed a feature called "secure value recovery" which would allow users installing the app on a new device to retrieve data from cloud servers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@jlund |date=2019-12-19 |title=Technology Preview for secure value recovery |url=https://signal.org/blog/secure-value-recovery/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241228040757/https://signal.org/blog/secure-value-recovery/ |archive-date=28 Dec 2024 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=[[Signal]]}}</ref> While the data is stored in Signal's cloud, it is stored in a securely encrypted manner.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=@Man_With_Arrow |title=PSA: Disabling PINs will now upload nothing to the server |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/htmzrr/psa_disabling_pins_will_now_upload_nothing_to_the/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616082821/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/htmzrr/psa_disabling_pins_will_now_upload_nothing_to_the/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2023 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=Old [[Reddit]]}}</ref> The data collected and stored includes the user's name, photo, phone number, and a list of each Signal user that had been contacted.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@awaitlink |date=Sep 2020 |title=What contact info does the Signal PIN functionality actually save |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/what-contact-info-does-the-signal-pin-functionality-actually-save/16854/4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250601035417/https://community.signalusers.org/t/what-contact-info-does-the-signal-pin-functionality-actually-save/16854/4 |archive-date=1 Jun 2025 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=Signal Community}}</ref>{{DisputedInline|Cited source is heavily cherry picked|reason=contact discovery on Signal is private and does not share the phone number as explained later in the cited sources}} Messages are not saved.

Users objected,<ref>{{Cite web |last=@PrivacyFan |date=May 2020 |title=Don’t want PIN, don’t want anything stored in cloud |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/dont-want-pin-dont-want-anything-stored-in-cloud/14057 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301015109/https://community.signalusers.org/t/dont-want-pin-dont-want-anything-stored-in-cloud/14057 |archive-date=1 Mar 2024 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=Signal Community}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@peter_p_troll |title=PIN, cloud storage are showstoppers |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/ghsj5b/pin_cloud_storage_are_showstoppers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615212112/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/ghsj5b/pin_cloud_storage_are_showstoppers/ |archive-date=15 Jun 2023 |website=Old [[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@crawdad101 |title=Forced PIN, bite it Signal |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/hkle3d/forced_pin_bite_it_signal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711160148/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/hkle3d/forced_pin_bite_it_signal/ |archive-date=11 Jul 2020 |website=Old [[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@nedrydt |title=Welcome to the cloud Signal users! |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/hkl914/welcome_to_the_cloud_signal_users/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616073034/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/hkl914/welcome_to_the_cloud_signal_users/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2023 |website=Old [[Reddit]]}}</ref> requesting that Signal instead provide a means to export encrypted backups that could be imported locally, which would eliminate dependence on cloud-based servers. Some users also raised technical concerns about the security of the system and doubted that it could sufficiently protect their data.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=@Meteor0id |date=Jun 2020 |title=Proper secure value security: PINs are too easy to brute force, SGX is not reliable enough |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/proper-secure-value-security-pins-are-too-easy-to-brute-force-sgx-is-not-reliable-enough/15096 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301015110/https://community.signalusers.org/t/proper-secure-value-security-pins-are-too-easy-to-brute-force-sgx-is-not-reliable-enough/15096 |archive-date=1 Mar 2024 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=Signal Community}}</ref> These concerns were shared by cybersecurity experts,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Signal’s New PIN Feature Worries Cybersecurity Experts |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/signal-new-pin-feature-worries-cybersecurity-experts/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117232443/https://www.vice.com/en/article/signal-new-pin-feature-worries-cybersecurity-experts/ |archive-date=17 Jan 2025 |access-date=6 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Signal Going to Cloud? A Discussion with Sean O'Brien |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFi-VI7_T3o |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606204527/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFi-VI7_T3o |archive-date=6 Jun 2020}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Does Signal’s “secure value recovery” really work? |url=https://palant.info/2020/06/16/does-signals-secure-value-recovery-really-work/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623171135/https://palant.info/2020/06/16/does-signals-secure-value-recovery-really-work/ |archive-date=23 Jun 2020}}</ref> and security researchers demonstrated that the system was vulnerable to attacks, which allowed them to access the user data being stored.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SGX CacheOut SGAxe attack. Signal’s cloud storage and contact discovery vulnerable |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/sgx-cacheout-sgaxe-attack-signals-cloud-storage-and-contact-discovery-vulnerable/14892 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519115856/https://community.signalusers.org/t/sgx-cacheout-sgaxe-attack-signals-cloud-storage-and-contact-discovery-vulnerable/14892 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |access-date=6 Mar 2025}}</ref>{{DisputedInline|reason="In recent weeks, Signal has introduced more features that make it more user friendly to people who may not have extremely paranoid threat models. For example, it’s now possible to migrate all Signal data, including message history, from one phone to another, using a feature that does not rely on cloud servers and is also encrypted, according to Signal. "|Cited vice article explains more nuance}}

Signal began to roll out the cloud-based recovery feature in 2020. without clear communication with the public or app users about the new feature.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Can someone explain this new PIN system? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/ggty6n/can_someone_explain_this_new_pin_system/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615184050/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/ggty6n/can_someone_explain_this_new_pin_system/ |archive-date=15 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mandatory PIN without clear explanation within the app might cause significant number of users to quit using Signal |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/mandatory-pin-without-clear-explanation-within-the-app-might-cause-significant-number-of-users-to-quit-using-signal/11597 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521073518/https://community.signalusers.org/t/mandatory-pin-without-clear-explanation-within-the-app-might-cause-significant-number-of-users-to-quit-using-signal/11597 |archive-date=21 May 2020}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=What exactly is Signal protecting with the mandatory PIN? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/hymlfd/what_exactly_is_signal_protecting_with_the/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616052149/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/hymlfd/what_exactly_is_signal_protecting_with_the/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What contact info does the Signal PIN functionality actually save? |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/what-contact-info-does-the-signal-pin-functionality-actually-save/16854 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250605155719/https://community.signalusers.org/t/what-contact-info-does-the-signal-pin-functionality-actually-save/16854 |archive-date=5 Jun 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Following user backlash, Signal lowers one of its drastic PIN measures |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/05/29/many-signal-users-arent-happy-with-new-pin-requirements/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606100450/https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/05/29/many-signal-users-arent-happy-with-new-pin-requirements/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What info does Signal store about it's user? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/q5tlg1/what_info_does_signal_store_about_its_user/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011111619/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/q5tlg1/what_info_does_signal_store_about_its_user/ |archive-date=11 Oct 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About data collection and data delivery |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/1id3xu8/about_data_collection_and_data_delivery/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250201072439/https://old.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/1id3xu8/about_data_collection_and_data_delivery/?ref=readnext |archive-date=1 Feb 2025 |access-date=6 Mar 2025}}</ref> Signal users questioned the need for the PIN, and communication from the Signal team responded that it was to ensure messages were not missed or lost.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I don’t understand what the new PIN requirement is for |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/i-don-t-understand-what-the-new-pin-requirement-is-for/13895 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250601035417/https://community.signalusers.org/t/i-don-t-understand-what-the-new-pin-requirement-is-for/13895 |archive-date=1 Jun 2025}}</ref> A more detailed response from Signal following user backlash explains that cloud backups were encrypted in the same way as messages, and were safe.<ref name=":7" />

Several users requested that Signal update their privacy policy following the change in data collection.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Can Signal please update its Privacy Policy |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/can-signal-please-update-its-privacy-policy/15323 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519120053/https://community.signalusers.org/t/can-signal-please-update-its-privacy-policy/15323 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |access-date=6 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Signal’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy are not very user friendly |url=https://community.signalusers.org/t/signals-terms-of-use-and-privacy-policy-are-not-very-user-friendly/11047 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250306164621/https://community.signalusers.org/t/signals-terms-of-use-and-privacy-policy-are-not-very-user-friendly/11047 |archive-date=6 Mar 2025 |access-date=6 Mar 2025}}</ref> The Signal privacy policy has not changed since 2018.

==See also==
*[[WhatsApp]]
*[[Discord]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Signal messenger]]

Consumer Rights Wiki talk:Moderators' noticeboard

2026-05-19T17:50:04Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Excerpt */ Reply

<div style="margin: {{#ifeq:{{{navbox|<noinclude>yes</noinclude>}}}|yes|2px}} 0 0.5em; padding: 0.5em; {{{style|border: 1px solid #A0A5AD;}}} {{{backgroundstyle|background-color: var(--background-color-progressive-subtle, #eaf3ff); color: inherit;}}}">
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*Post '''appeals''' to article notice templates (e.g. Incomplete, Stub, etc.)
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<br />
{{Archives}} 
==Open tasks==

*[[:Category:Articles with deletion requests]]
*[[:Category:Articles with merge requests]]
*[[:Category:Articles marked as irrelevant]]
*[[Special:NewPages]]

==How will the CRW approach April Fool's day?==

Hi, April Fool's day is next month and I don't want to initiate a discussion too late, so how would we approach it? My idea is 1) no jokes in articles, no exceptions and 2) clearly mark all jokes when they occur (I've made [[Template:April fools]] for this purpose). [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 19:57, 2 March 2026 (UTC)

:If my science textbook in school gave me a QR code that ends up rickrolling me I think I'll spend longer than 1 day being distracted about it... lol
:In my opinion they should be contained within user pages and other types of pages the common person never visits, like having it as an extra link under Wiki policy or something. It would be really bad if someone in power happens to see it the one day they get told to visit a page on the wiki. Just my two cents... but then again I'm pretty biased against the day anyway [[User:Raster|Raster]] ([[User talk:Raster|talk]]) 06:56, 3 March 2026 (UTC)
::I don't even think we should have it under a link on Wiki policy, just silently add it with thr correct template the correct people internally will see it via recent changes. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 07:08, 3 March 2026 (UTC)
:Honestly, I don't think we will be doing one this year. [[User:JamesTDG|JamesTDG]] ([[User talk:JamesTDG|talk]]) 07:29, 3 March 2026 (UTC)
::Was there one last year? I don't think there was. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 07:36, 3 March 2026 (UTC)
:::There definitely wasn't. [[User:JamesTDG|JamesTDG]] ([[User talk:JamesTDG|talk]]) 08:29, 3 March 2026 (UTC)
::::I've deleted the template. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 16:10, 3 March 2026 (UTC)
:::::Might be worth undeleting it... Louis came up with an idea for an April Fools, based on that Norwegian enshittification video from the other day. Basic concept is to enshittify the wiki (maybe just the main page, and with an off button, of course) for a day. I fully agree with no jokes in articles - that's just a pain to keep track of and undo, and could damage credibility if done without good taste. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 10:33, 4 March 2026 (UTC)
::::::I have had my ideas, but I'll keep them secret for now. I'll undelete it. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 15:54, 4 March 2026 (UTC)
::::::we could prob use the trollface as the wiki logo at least [[User:JamesTDG|JamesTDG]] ([[User talk:JamesTDG|talk]]) 04:21, 5 March 2026 (UTC)

==Appeal Request==

Hello! The article [[Advertising overload]] is marked as incomplete and as relying on AI/LLMs. I believe I've addressed the original intent of both of these, though the bottom section ([[Advertising overload#Notable Examples]]) is still a stub. I think the AI status notice should be removed, and the Incomplete notice should be replaced with a Stub notice.

Cheers! [[User:Scholar Silas|Scholar Silas]] ([[User talk:Scholar Silas|talk]]) 05:52, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

:{{Done}} including '''completely removing both notices''', not marking it as a stub. The article overall is very long, and if a section is all to complain about on a very long article, then it's definitely not a stub. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 16:02, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

==Who gets superconfirmed first?==

Hello, starting this discussion since the new superconfirmed usergroup has been added and we need to figure out who to give it to first. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 22:07, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

:Just tested it on [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsAlt]]; why can't it undelete pages? [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 22:14, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
::I shall fix! [[User:JakeL|JakeL]] ([[User talk:JakeL|talk]]) 00:02, 15 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Also @[[User:JakeL|JakeL]] is semiprotection mow allowing superconfirmed users only as well as admins and not just normal confirmed users? [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 06:23, 15 March 2026 (UTC)
::::Yes, autoconfirmed users no longer have the semiprotected permission. This was an intentional change requested by Keith [[User:JakeL|JakeL]] ([[User talk:JakeL|talk]]) 16:11, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

==add "Quasi-Wanted" Special page==

There are Wikipedia articles linked from many different CRW articles. It'd be nice to see which topics are candidates for a dedicated article on CRW. I say "topics", just-in-case a future update adds support for non-WP "pseudo-internal" links (because WP links are shown as "internal" even though they aren't)

Apologies in advance if this is not a place for feature-requests [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 06:23, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

==Appeal request for Wikipedia article==
I've been testing out the browser plugin for the last few days and noticed it popped up on Wikipedia. After reading [[Wikipedia#cite note-15]] I wanted to challenge whether this article belongs on Consumer Rights Wiki, as I don't think it fits with the [[Mission statement]] or [[Consumer Rights Wiki:Inclusion guidelines]] at time of writing.

Aside from mentioning that Wikipedia is big and influential (not necessarily a bad thing), there are two incidents listed. The first one relates to individual editors. The only citation for this mentions "Wikipedia has taken action against what it described as the “co-ordinated group” of fraudsters by blocking 381 accounts.".

The second one is similar, it refers to behaviour of editors - the first citation mentions "Wikipedias in all languages, including English, are open to edits by any volunteers", and also mentions that "one of the ... admins at Scots Wikipedia, has called for native speakers to contribute as the community seeks to save the project.".

In both cases I think this is a reasonable response from Wikipedia, they stepped in to address the issues by blocking abusive users, acknowledged the inaccuracies and called for people to help fix them. Wikipedia is free, it's hosted by a non-profit organisation and the editors are not working for Wikipedia, they are independent users of the platform. I don't think it's fair to blame them for user-generated content, and in my opinion it hurts the cause when we include articles like this alongside articles highlighting genuinely abusive business practices. [[User:DiffChar|DiffChar]] ([[User talk:DiffChar|talk]]) 23:04, 17 March 2026 (UTC)

:When this came up, I was very concerned but decided to leave it alone. Considering someone else thinks the exact same way as me, i think it's honestly a good idea atp for me to add a deletion request template (which anyone can do, by the way!) and refer back here. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 16:14, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

:After looking it over myself, I agree - it's not relevant as it stands. — [[User:Sojourna|Sojourna]] ([[User talk:Sojourna|talk]]) 19:41, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
::I'd concur as well. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 19:46, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Deleted. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 19:49, 30 March 2026 (UTC)

==Can't Edit==

I'm trying to edit this [[Dairy Queen]] article, however after adding the stub notice it won't allow me to edit anymore. @[[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|AnotherConsumerRightsPerson]] [[User:SquidthePlummer|SquidthePlummer]] ([[User talk:SquidthePlummer|talk]]) 19:33, 23 March 2026 (UTC)

:{{Done}}. [[consumer_Rights_Wiki_talk:Moderators%27_noticeboard/Archive_4#Can_a_mod_please_remove_this?|Easy mistake to make]]. Next time, put it at the start of the article '''and''' leave a space. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 20:43, 23 March 2026 (UTC)

==so...==

abt that superuser role? has it been rolled out yet? got hit in the face w a stub notice bug again lol [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 14:08, 26 March 2026 (UTC)

:another thing. Phreeli has a valid entry in [[List of products and services with forced arbitration]]. still @[[User:Louis]] supported them w a dedicated [https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=e8SnNNq6MaI video], in which he states "so this is a company we started" and claims to be an unpaid board member. so I ask, what the fuck? Louis said to give a fuck abt consumer rights but he is not your savior. the video was released on 2025.12.19 and the citation on the list was archived on 2026.01.13, so it can be argued that it could be a development after the video was published. I have not seen him mention Phreeli since then. so I cannot say if they're still affiliated but the video is still up w no follow up (afaik). as y'all are in contact w the man, can we get a comment or perhaps an apology video w a ukulele cameo? [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 15:30, 26 March 2026 (UTC)
::I discussed that here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_twkLJbc1c
::if there's an MVNO that's open to allowing people to pay with crypto without providing a name and address, I am happy to push them in that direction & help move it along. forced arbitration sucks balls, but every carrier has forced arbitration..... so this becomes a question of, should i not help push along a carrier that allows people to sign up in a more anonymous way, because 1 thing isn't to my liking... ??? the answer to that is no.
::framework doesn't release schematics... but after a long talk with the CEO, they'll allow you to get one if you contact them & sign an NDA. that's not what I want. but it is better than if I had not engaged at all.
::if i started a phone company/MVNO, it'd have no forced arbitration '''''AND''''' allow people to sign up with anonymous crypto without providing their name.... but i'm not starting a phone company... i am too busy as it is.
::phreeli belongs in that list of products & services with forced arbitration because they have forced arbitration. [[User:Louis|Louis]] ([[User talk:Louis|talk]]) 19:59, 26 March 2026 (UTC)
:::as mentioned in my previous comment I didn't know of that video. thank you. even tho its been a week, I still haven't found the time to watch it. perhaps many of the points I've highlighted have already been discussed in said video.
:::regardless, I agree that the existence of a more private MVNO's a blessing to see in a sea full of scammers. but I still would've liked to see them not go the same route as traditional operators regarding forced arbitration. everybody's "threat" model is diff so I can understand your stance. I'm a fairly regular watcher of the channel but somehow I missed the video. and based on the view discrepancy (378k vs 41k), many others have too. the follow up video includes the announcement in its description but the title and thumbnail do not reflect it being a follow up. I would like to see this rectified.
:::now on Framework, I did not know an NDA had to be signed in order to get the schematics. I checked the article and it does not mention that. based on my 5 min search I found [https://knowledgebase.frame.work/availability-of-schematics-and-boardviews-BJMZ6EAu this] but it does not mention an NDA, just to reach out to support. could you please provide sources? I'd like to append this to the article. I don't consider it egregious but for a person looking for them, they should know.
:::I'd like to highlight a conflict here. in the video you state "so this company we started" and in [https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2009536/000200953624000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml this] SEC filing you're cited as a Director. I'd like to mention that I'm not American nor have any idea wtf this shit is, but I have a borderline idea on what SEC filings are. could you please explain to me what this means? ofc you yourself did not start the company but you are still listed as a director of the company.
:::an article on Phreeli does not exist and the arbitration list can be hard to find. so I will be creating one. [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 18:52, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
:Superconfirmed has been rolled out, see [[Consumer Rights Wiki:Moderator applications]], BUT you need your email. I think this stuff should be done onwiki but whatever, I got mod without using email lol. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 21:26, 26 March 2026 (UTC)
::I went on a hiatus again lol so apologies for the slow response.
::I did email Keith on the matter b4 the rollout and recently did I get knighted. thank you mods [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 18:54, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

==I think Internet Archive has excluded anything from Bambu Lab==

I was on the Bambu Lab Authorization Control System page and I noticed that a lot of the archive links didn't work so I think Internet Archive has excluded anything from Bambu Lab.

Do I need to move all the archive links to Ghost Archive? [[User:Andrew V|Andrew V]] ([[User talk:Andrew V|talk]]) 16:20, 30 March 2026 (UTC)

:It's the other way around; Bambu Lab has specifically decided to block the IA. And yeah, you can certainly use Ghost Archive. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 16:22, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
::So should I switch all the archive links from IA to Ghost Archive [[User:Andrew V|Andrew V]] ([[User talk:Andrew V|talk]]) 16:24, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Yes. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 16:25, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
::::Okay, I'll get started [[User:Andrew V|Andrew V]] ([[User talk:Andrew V|talk]]) 16:25, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
::Can confirm. I made a list of companies covered on this wiki that excluded themselves from the IA [[Internet Archive/Blocked companies|here]]. [[User:Mr Pollo|Mr Pollo]] ([[User talk:Mr Pollo|talk]]) 19:13, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:::Thanks for making that article [[User:Andrew V|Andrew V]] ([[User talk:Andrew V|talk]]) 01:43, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
::::Of course! [[User:Mr Pollo|Mr Pollo]] ([[User talk:Mr Pollo|talk]]) 19:10, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

==Archive everything==

is there a way the checking process for refs be automated? it is user maintained and isn't always accurate. perhaps all refs could be checked if they have the <code>archive-url=</code> filled? [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 18:26, 5 April 2026 (UTC)

==Featured articles on main page have light grey title on White background .. even on dark mode==

This isnt great for readability.

my setup for reference :

dark mode on CRW, Firefox. Linux Mint XFCE. [[User:Plankton|Plankton]] ([[User talk:Plankton|talk]]) 04:46, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

:wait i just went back and now they are black titles... i dont know what happened. mightve been a one time bug on my part ??? [[User:Plankton|Plankton]] ([[User talk:Plankton|talk]]) 04:49, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
::OK i figured it out... this is weird :
::it only happnes when i am LOGGED OUT of my account.
::to reiterate :
::when a user is logged out. the featured articles on the main page appear with light grey titles on white background ; which isnt great for readability ... especially for new users' first impression of the website.
::Once i am logged into my account, the titles now appear black with good contrast.
::I dont know why this is the case but it is consistent across my testing [[User:Plankton|Plankton]] ([[User talk:Plankton|talk]]) 04:51, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
:::@[[User:JakeL|JakeL]] this was an issue that I had before that I asked om your talkpage to fix, now it's happening again? [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 05:26, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
:::I'm going to throw in a curveball. logged in and I still got the issue. [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 08:52, 10 April 2026 (UTC)
::::@[[User:JakeL|JakeL]] pinging again [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 11:04, 10 April 2026 (UTC)
:::::Flagged this for Keith since it’s been awhile hopefully Jake sees it. - [[User:Atsumari|Atsumari]] ([[User talk:Atsumari|talk]]) 11:18, 2 May 2026 (UTC)

==Suggestion==

I feel we could be more clearer when it come to our date standards on the wiki, as right now I feel its lacking in clarity and causes confusion for newcomers on what the actual date format is most commonly accepted and preferred (as of right now being something like a date format of 20 Jan 2004 <s>if that makes sense</s>). Currently, when going onto the citation tab to add a source, it reads ''"Example: Format as YYYY-MM-DD (2020-12-30) or DD Mon YYYY (30 Dec 2025)".''

Additionally, I also think the product section ''(referring to the This is a list of the company's product lines '''with articles on this wiki'''. [[Example product line one]] (release date): Short summary of the product's incidents.)'' could also be more specified and informative on what users are supposed to fill out, along with specifying what to do when there's no incidents relating to any of their product, as right now it's kinda up to the users to determine what it means.

I also want to ask if you can add more sections to the parent company on the CompanyCargo template(being adding one company that's own by several other companies instead of one <s>as of current</s>) as I'm currently working on '''[[Denny's]]''' article and <sub><s>as far as I know</s></sub> there are 3 private companies that own Denny's as of the moment.

I don't mean to come off in a bad way where it's disrespectful, I meant to only state my opinion on the matter. [[User:SquidthePlummer|SquidthePlummer]] ([[User talk:SquidthePlummer|talk]]) 03:06, 11 April 2026 (UTC)

:Agree, we don't really have a specific date standard here [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 05:38, 11 April 2026 (UTC)

:I have been using the DMY format since the majority of the world generally uses that. The hope for the wiki is to be an international source for consumers around the world (not just Americans), and I believe DMY to be in line with that goal. I further believe it would be better to have a consistent experience, which is why I have used the DMY format even for American companies and incidents. (Though clearly Rossmann disagreed with that, as he recently "corrected" the dates on an Amazon article from an older edit of mine.)

:As for the citations, I abbreviate the months because early on using more than three characters for the month resulted in the citation template being unhappy. It appears to have since been fixed, but old habits die hard. Not sure why the wiki template data outputs strictly numbers and that's a topic that will eventually have to be decided on in conjunction with this.

:Apologies for not speaking up sooner; I wanted mull over the matter first. — [[User:Sojourna|Sojourna]] ([[User talk:Sojourna|talk]]) 23:24, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

==JS ToneWarning appeal==

([[JavaScript|this article]]) With the most recent edits (from other people, and myself) I think that notice can be finally removed. <code>Cleanup</code> should stay, as it's not done.

I could remove the notice myself, but I'm asking here, just-in-case [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 06:21, 13 April 2026 (UTC)

:{{Done}} [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 06:59, 13 April 2026 (UTC)

==Appeal request for YNAB article==

Hey CRW!

Today, after learning that YouNeedABudget had added forced arbitration to their ToS, I contributed [[You Need A Budget (YNAB)|my first original wiki article]]. I'd not completed each section, so it was naturally marked as a stub, but '''I believe I've satisfied the requirements for each required section, now, and that it is outside stub territory.'''

I tried to provide as many references as I could, while keeping things as relevant as I could, but as I said, this is my first article, so please let me know if there's anything else I can contribute to improve the article in any way.

The one thing I think could be better is providing the actual email sent by YNAB as its own file as a better reference, but because I am no longer personally a user of YNAB, I don't have a copy to provide, myself. I reached out to some users from the subreddit threads linked within the article to ask for some anonymized copy if at all possible, and if I get something back, I can provide that then (or, if someone else has their own copy, all the power to them to contribute it). Failing this, though, I hope that the links to the related discussion about the email's existence meets the standard of verifiability. [[User:Jamesonismad|Jameson Ismad]] ([[User talk:Jamesonismad|talk]]) 05:16, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

:{{Done}} — [[User:Sojourna|Sojourna]] ([[User talk:Sojourna|talk]]) 22:36, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

==deletion request==

Seeing as how the terms are bog standard, I see no reason for this page to exist. You do not own any of the code on your machine, unless you wrote it yourself. Even open source licenses are the same.

I couldn't figure out to make a deletion request either. wouldn't let me save the template, but I could have been doing it wrong. Instructions aren't so clear...

[[Bandai Namco EULA]] [[User:Mandle Rex|Mandle Rex]] ([[User talk:Mandle Rex|talk]]) 09:27, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

:The problem with the deletion request was probably that you were trying to put it on the same line as the incomplete notice (which is protected)
:I'll add it on for you just now [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 10:45, 1 May 2026 (UTC)
::Deleted! [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 05:07, 4 May 2026 (UTC)

==Editing templates, protected pages, deleting irrelevant articles==

How can I request additional permissions? I would like to add a location field to [[Template:CompanyCargo]], edit pages like [[Template:Main_Page/Consumer_Tools]], and remove pages like [[Varusteleka]] (that as far as I'm aware has not been involved in any consumer rights violations) or [[Fruitbat Factory]] (that I think has a page only due to its DLC-oriented business model). [[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 13:40, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

:@[[User:Keith|Keith]] I'm honestly tempted to make a buncha things autoconfirmed-protectee but i
:I'd rather not w/o your approval [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 04:32, 17 May 2026 (UTC)
::At the moment it's limited to Superconfirmed and above. Given the quality of @[[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]]'s contributions, I'd be happy to give them Superconfirmed. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 20:40, 17 May 2026 (UTC)
:::Cargo templates are still fully protected, so I cannot edit them. Please see [[Special:ProtectedPages]], it may be reasonable to change most of these (especially templates) to semi-protected. [[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 15:34, 18 May 2026 (UTC)
:Regarding edit access to the consumer tools page or any template used on the front page, additional inclusions like consumer tools are generally confirmed by staff to prevent the potential for promoting a service or product that doesn’t align with our goals.
:Also while we have you here, creating country articles like [[Poland]] isn’t within our scope, as a country category can contain the necessary information such as their incidents and laws while linking back to the country's Wikipedia page. For that, having categories such as [[:Category:Canadian incidents]] and [[:Category:Canadian legislation]] in the Canada category would be best practice. Let me know if you have any questions! [[User:Mr Pollo|Mr Pollo]] ([[User talk:Mr Pollo|talk]]) 13:05, 17 May 2026 (UTC)
::There are countries that have many consumer rights organizations and governmental bodies, or complicated laws, that do not warrant one article or do not make sense individually. Without such pages there is no discoverability for these convoluted topics.
::Consider a Polish developer making changes to open source software, to make it interoperable with device that recently got locked down. The device manufacturer subsequently threatens them with legal action, citing [[DMCA]]. How can you find out, that DMCA does not apply outside of the US, the international treaty that DMCA implements is implemented with exceptions in his jurisdiction that make the reverse engineering for interoperability permissible, and that recently [[SLAPP suits and legal intimidation]] has been [https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/new-eu-rules-protect-against-strategic-lawsuits-against-public-participation-enter-force-2024-05-03_en largely outlawed]? [[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 20:56, 17 May 2026 (UTC)
:::Also there's [[:Category:Organizations]], [[:Category:Regulatory agencies and public support bodies]], and [[Template:CompanyCargo]] has a suggested "Government" value in the Type field. Countries/jurisdictions fall under the Themes scope in my opinion.
:::Categories (and non-Main namespaces) lack discoverability (they are not searched by default). [[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 21:06, 17 May 2026 (UTC)
::::Tend to agree. I do wonder though whether the page titles should be just the name of the of the country or be something like 'Government of x', or 'Consumer protection in x', but that's a minor issue, and ultimately the content of the pages is good. I've created [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki_talk:RfC:_Page_protection]] for people to discuss the situation on the wiki regarding permission levels. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 21:42, 17 May 2026 (UTC)

==Excerpt==

I have brought [[Template:Excerpt]] (and associated modules) from Wikipedia. Documentation: [[wikipedia:Template:Excerpt]]

You can see it in use in the [[Bambu Lab#Cease and desist against OrcaSlicer fork maintainer (2026)|Bambu Lab]] article (see also [[:Category:Articles with excerpts]]). The main benefit is the reduced duplication, where excerpted incidents can be included in company articles.

Can you help me start a project, to convert more articles to use this template? [[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 15:28, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

:@[[User:Keith|Keith]] [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 17:50, 19 May 2026 (UTC)

Template:Shortcut

2026-05-19T17:12:33Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Created page with "''Shortcut: {{{1}}}''<br /> <noinclude> This lets you specify shortcuts to specific parts. <templatedata> { "params": { "1": { "label": "Page", "description": "Page the shortcut is at.", "type": "wiki-page-name" } }, "description": "Lets you create shortcuts." } </templatedata></noinclude>"

''Shortcut: [[{{{1}}}]]''<br />
<noinclude> This lets you specify shortcuts to specific parts.
<templatedata>
{
"params": {
"1": {
"label": "Page",
"description": "Page the shortcut is at.",
"type": "wiki-page-name"
}
},
"description": "Lets you create shortcuts."
}
</templatedata></noinclude>

Consumer Rights Wiki:Mainspace

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Consumer Rights Wiki:Namespaces

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AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Redirected page to Consumer Rights Wiki:Jargon buster#Namespaces

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Consumer Rights Wiki:Namespaces

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AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Created page with "#REDIIRECT Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Jargon_buster#Namespaces"

#REDIIRECT [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Jargon_buster#Namespaces]]

Consumer Rights Wiki:MediaWiki

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AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Redirected page to Consumer Rights Wiki:Jargon buster#MediaWiki

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Consumer Rights Wiki:MediaWiki

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[[#REDIRECT [[Consumer Rights Wiki:Jargon buster#MediaWiki]]

Consumer Rights Wiki:Jargon buster

2026-05-19T16:37:36Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Redirects */ keith cant even spell my own name right smh

Wikis, especially MediaWiki wikis, have been hanging around the internet for a few decades at this point, and for those of us who are waist-deep in this or other wikis, it can often be hard to remember what it was like to not know the lingo! This page should therefore act as a cheat-sheet for the definitions of wiki-specific terminology, along with the occasional tip to help out when editing.

Any references to UI elements here will be referring to the desktop version of the site.

The Consumer Rights Wiki isn't particularly unique or special in its formatting and usage, so most of the information below can be applied to pretty much any MediaWiki. With that being said, why don't we start off by defining...

==MediaWiki==
MediaWiki is the software that the Wiki runs on. It is developed by the Wikimedia Foundation (who, among other things, provide the infrastructure to run Wikipedia) and is open-source, available for anyone who wants to run a Wiki to use. It's also a few decades old, and has frequently been described as 'a bit of a nightmare' to work with, but in general, it's good at what it does.

==Namespaces==
The pages on this Wiki are organised into namespaces. Namespaces can be most easily identified by the prefix that goes before a page title, after the '/w/' in the URL. For example, this page is in the 'Consumer_Rights_Wiki:' namespace.

What namespace a page is in can affect several things about a page, such as whether it is searchable, who can edit it, or whether it is useable as a template.

===Mainspace===
'Mainspace' is the default location for articles, which have no prefix. Mainspace pages are expected to contain the reader-facing content pages of the wiki.

Example page: [[John Deere]]

===Talk===
'Talk', or 'discussion' pages have a prefix ending in the word 'talk'. A talk namespace exists for every other namespace, to hold the discussion pages that accompany articles. Anyone can edit these, and editing is typically done via the 'add topic' or 'add reply' buttons, which make the process of starting or continuing conversations a bit easier.

You can also directly edit talk pages via the source editor, but this should only ever be done to quickly correct your own minor typos - substantive edits to talk page comments are strongly discouraged and will probably be reverted, as it disrupts people's ability to properly follow the conversation.

Busy talk pages are sometimes cleared out and placed into archives, so check for those if a conversation seems to have disappeared!

Example page: [[Talk:John Deere]]

===Userspace===
Userspace is the term for articles that begin with 'User:[Username]'. These articles are attributed to the specific user, and users should refrain from editing the user pages of other users, except to remove material which is obviously unsuitable for hosting on the Wiki.

User pages, and user sub-pages (beginning with 'User:[Username]/'), are a good place for users to post their [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Wiki_content_policies#No_Original_Research|Original Research]], or write more opinionated or tangential content which is not suitable for mainspace wiki articles. Many editors also keep a personal sandbox at a sub-page like 'User:[Username]/sandbox' for drafting articles or testing wikitext before publishing it to mainspace.

Example page: [[User:Keith]]

===Special pages===
On the left-hand toolbar, there is a link called 'special pages'. This link takes you to a big long list of different pages in the 'Special:' namespace, which are built-in to MediaWiki and let you see all sorts of interesting and useful things, like a list of 'orphaned pages' (pages that are not linked to by any other page), or the full feed of recent changes.

Example page: [[Special:RecentChanges]]

===Templates===
Templates (page segments/sections which can be re-used on multiple pages) live in the 'Template:' namespace.

Example page: [[Template:StubNotice]]

==Page tabs==
Whenever you go to an article, you'll see a number of tabs along the top of the article, just below its title. These let you switch between different views and actions on the current page - reading it, editing it, viewing its history, and so on. We'll expand more on some of these (the editing ones) later, but for now, here's a quick overview, from left to right:

==='Page' and 'Discussion'===
The 'Page' and 'Discussion' tabs on the top left of an article allow you to move between the mainspace article and its associated talk page ('talk page' and 'discussion page' are used interchangeably). The Discussion page, also known as a 'talk' page, acts like a mini-forum for each individual article. You can start threads and reply to comments, with the comment being replied to being identifiable by its indentation.

All the tabs/buttons on the right-hand side will apply to the version of the page you're currently on, so if you click 'Discussion' and then 'View history', for example, you would be viewing the history of the discussion page, whereas if you clicked 'Page', followed by 'View history', you would be looking at the history of edits to the main page.

==='Read'===
The 'Read' tab does what it says on the tin, and lets you read the page.

===Visual editor ('Edit')===
The visual editor is the default method for editing articles, and you can access it by clicking 'Edit' in the top-right of an article. It is a text editor designed specifically for editing wiki pages, and comes built-in with MediaWiki-specific tools.

===Source editor ('Edit source')===
The source editor can be accessed by clicking on the 'Edit source' tab, and allows you to directly change the page's source wikitext.

The source editor is most useful when making complex changes involving templates, or when trying to debug any weirdness with the way the page displays. A decent proportion of the Wiki's power-users, though, end up using the source editor as their default for all editing.

One final note on source editing is that, while the use of AI to write content can be an absolute nightmare and cause all sorts of problems (see the [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:AI_usage_policy|AI usage policy]]), LLMs have a very good understanding of Wikitext syntax, and can be extremely helpful when it comes to syntax, templates, and formatting. If you're having trouble getting something to display correctly, passing the source wikitext to an LLM might give you a leg up in working out the problem.

==='View history'===
Clicking the 'View history' tab will take you to that page's edit history. Here you can see all of the past versions of the page, who made the edits, and any edit notes (edit summaries) the author left.

A '''diff''' is a side-by-side comparison of two versions of a page, showing exactly what was added, removed, or changed between them. The 'Compare selected revisions' button on the history page allows you to see the diff between the article at two points in time - particularly useful if an editor has made a long sequence of minor edits to the article, and you want to view the cumulative effects of those changes. The 'undo' link next to a revision lets you reverse a specific edit, and 'rollback' (available to moderators) reverts all recent consecutive edits by a single user in one click.

==='Move'===
The 'Move' tab (on the right-hand side, in the 'tools' dropdown) lets you rename a page. Moving a page automatically leaves a redirect behind from the old title to the new one, so existing links don't break. Page moves are logged just like edits, and bad moves can be reverted.

==Wikitext==
Wikitext is the 'source code' of every article on a MediaWiki wiki. It follows similar rules to markdown, with some differences - for example, bullet points are created with an asterisk, rather than a hyphen. Full documentation on Wikitext can be found on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext

==Editing==
Editing is how you make changes to the wiki. Anyone can do it!

Everything discussed with source text provided here can also be done via the visual editor, using options from the drop-down menus at the top of the editor, which automatically create the source text for the article based on what is input. Trying to enter source text into the visual editor will typically not work, though sometimes it will surface a dialogue which tries to guess at what you were trying to do.

Whenever you save an edit, you'll see an 'edit summary' box. Leaving a short note (e.g. "fixed typos in Background section", or "added citation for FTC suit") helps other editors quickly understand what changed when scanning the page history, and is considered good wiki etiquette.

===Citations and references===
Citations and references are the bread and butter of mainspace articles on the wiki. We rely on them to make our articles verifiable - which is the idea that a reader of one of our articles can check where we're getting our info from, and make sure we're not talking rubbish. Technically speaking the citation is the inline marker in the body of the article, and the reference is the full source entry that appears in the references list at the bottom of the page, but the terms are often used interchangeably.

The vast majority of citations in the wiki will use the 'Cite web' template, which has been borrowed from Wikipedia, as we don't tend to be citing books or academic journals as much as Wikipedia does. If for some reason you need another type of citation, you may have to create or port over the necessary template yourself, if we don't have it set up yet.

===Internal links===
Internal links are simple to create in the source editor: you simply place double square brackets around the title of a page. If you want the display text to be different from the destination page name, you can put a pipe character (|) between the page name and the display text.

Spaces ( ) and underscores (_) are interchangeable in page names when linking them.

For example, <code><nowiki>[[Mark_Zuckerberg|bellend]]</nowiki></code> (Displayed as: [[Mark_Zuckerberg|bellend]]) will allow you to link Mark Zuckerberg's page in an accurate, if non-specific, way. This would, however, be deeply inappropriate in a normal article, as the wiki is not generally meant to offer or imply opinions on the morality of individuals or companies, and certainly not by calling anyone a bellend.

You can also link to a specific section within a page by appending '#' and the section heading, e.g. <code><nowiki>[[John Deere#Background]]</nowiki></code>. This works for section anchors on other pages, on the same page, and even on Wikipedia links (see below).

Wikipedia links are a subset of internal links. Because MediaWiki is built with Wikipedia integration in mind, you can create a link to a Wikipedia article simply by putting double square brackets around a Wikipedia page name with 'Wikipedia:' before it. For example, <code><nowiki>[[Wikipedia:False advertising]]</nowiki></code> creates a link that looks like this: [[Wikipedia:False advertising]]

===External links===
Generally, one should avoid creating external links in articles when not necessary, as the bulk of the external referencing should use citations rather than direct links. When an external website is being used to support a claim being made within the text of an article, direct external links should not be used. You can, however, use them in the 'External links' section of an article, or to link a company website in their Cargo table/infobox. External links are created by placing square brackets around a URL. The alternate display text will be anything after a space ( ).

For example, <code><nowiki>[https://consumerrights.wiki The Consumer Rights Wiki]</nowiki></code> will display as [https://consumerrights.wiki The Consumer Rights Wiki], whereas <code><nowiki>[https://consumerrights.wiki]</nowiki></code> with no alternate display text will display as a numbered link: [https://consumerrights.wiki].

==Common templates==
Templates are ways of re-using complex elements (such as an infobox) between articles. Here are a few of the templates you'll be likely to encounter frequently when editing:

===Cargo tables===
Cargo tables are how the Wiki stores structured, machine-readable data about its articles — things like a company's founding year, industry, and website, or an incident's affected product and current status. This is the data that populates the infobox you see at the top of articles like [[John Deere]], and the same data is also consumed by external projects such as the [https://github.com/FULU-Foundation/CRW-Extension Consumer Rights Wiki browser extension], as well as anyone wanting hard data on the Wiki's contents.

Which Cargo template a given article uses is determined by its [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Article_types|article type]]. The main ones you'll see are:
*[[Template:CompanyCargo]] for company articles
*[[Template:ProductCargo]] for product and product-line articles
*[[Template:IncidentCargo]] for incident articles

If you start a new article via the [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:New_here|'Create a page']] link in the sidebar, the Cargo table is filled out for you based on your answers to the form. Otherwise, you'll see syntax like the following near the top of the source:

<code><nowiki>{{CompanyCargo|Founded=...|Industry=...|Website=...|Description=...}}</nowiki></code>

Each parameter after the pipe (|) is a field-value pair. To update the data, just edit the relevant value; to leave a field blank, omit it entirely.

A lot of older articles on the wiki were written before the Cargo system was introduced, and so [[Projects:Cargo-complete|are missing some or all of their structured data]].

===Placeholder templates===
When a new article is created, it comes with a number of placeholder templates which describe the intended contents of the different sections of an article. The text inside them is only visible in the visual editor, or when previewing an edit.

Once you've read them, feel free to delete them!

===Article notices===
Article notices sit at the top of articles, and indicate to both readers and editors that a certain aspect of an article is not up to the wiki's standards, in one way or another. Certain article notices, such as ones concerning verification or tone, can only be removed by moderators or Superconfirmed users.

===Citation needed===
If a statement has been made in an article, but is not supported by a citation, you can place the <code><nowiki>{{CitationNeeded}}</nowiki></code> template at the end of the statement to indicate to both the reader and to other editors that the statement has not been properly justified. The rendered template displays inline as{{CitationNeeded}}.

==Categories==
Categories are one of the main tools used to organise the articles within the Wiki.

A page is assigned to a category by writing <code><nowiki>[[Category:CategoryName]]</nowiki></code> anywhere in the page source - by convention, this goes near the bottom of the page. A single page can be in multiple categories. Categories themselves can also belong to other categories, forming a hierarchy with [[:Category:Wiki root|Category:Wiki root]] at the top.

If you want to link ''to'' a category page (rather than assigning the page to it), put a colon before 'Category', like <code><nowiki>[[:Category:John Deere]]</nowiki></code>.

==Redirects==
Redirect pages are special pages that exist in mainspace, but serve only to redirect the user to another page. They're useful for alternate spellings, abbreviations, and former names of articles.

Their only contents are a single line reading <code><nowiki>#REDIRECT [[Target page name]]</nowiki></code>.

It is bad practice to have one redirect pointing to another (this is a 'double redirect'), and if you leave too many lying around, [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson]] might shout at you!

==Transclusion==
Transclusion is the wiki term for embedding the contents of one page inside another. Templates are the most common form of transclusion - when you write <code><nowiki>{{CitationNeeded}}</nowiki></code> in an article, MediaWiki pulls in the contents of [[Template:CitationNeeded]] and renders it in place. The Main Page also transcludes several other pages (like the 'In the news' template) so that updating one page propagates to the other.

If you ever wonder where a piece of an article actually lives when you can't find it in the source wikitext, transclusion is usually the culprit. Look for a <code><nowiki>{{ExampleTemplate}}</nowiki></code> tag and edit the underlying template instead.

==Watchlist==
Your watchlist is a personal list of pages you want to keep an eye on. Clicking the star icon next to any page's title adds it to your watchlist, and 'Special:Watchlist' will then show you a feed of any edits made to those pages. Handy for keeping tabs on articles you've contributed heavily to, or talk page discussions you're involved in.

==Consensus==
'Consensus' is a term you might find bandied around when discussing changes to wiki policy, or when people are trying to judge whether a page fits within the CRW's guidelines. The general rule on Wikis such as this one is that such issues are decided by reaching editor consensus, usually on a relevant talk page. Consensus is reached when a significant majority of experienced contributors discussing an issue agree on what should be done. Users with higher permission levels do not have any innate ability to override the editorial decisions of others, though as active users their opinions will often be given significant weight.

==User rights==
Here's a quick overview of the important roles, see the [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Moderator_applications|moderator applications page]] for more info on specifics.

===New user===
When you first join the Wiki, or edit anonymously, you have no rights. In this state, you might encounter anti-spam blocks fairly regularly, as we have to have fairly aggressive filters to combat the fact that there are automated bot farms that target wikis to spam fake articles and SEO links.

Typically, new users are manually granted Confirmed status fairly quickly after their first few edits.

===Confirmed===
This is the 'normal user' tier, and the vast majority of the wiki will be editable at this permission level. Pages in the Consumer_Rights_Wiki namespace, or the Main Page, are not editable to users with this permission level. They also cannot directly delete articles, or remove certain article notices.

===Superconfirmed===
Superconfirmed users have the ability to edit any page on the wiki, delete and undelete pages, and remove article notices. They do not have account management permissions (i.e. they cannot promote or ban users) or page protection permissions.

===Moderator===
Moderators have all Superconfirmed permissions, plus the ability to confirm or block users and IPs, and to protect pages.

[[Category:CRW]]
[[Category:Help]]

Template talk:Main Page/Consumer Tools

2026-05-18T15:49:58Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Safety Gate */ edit

==Multiple improvements==

I noticed this list seems to be pretty outdated. I thought of several changes that could improve this list:

#LocalCDN is [https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/4.1-Extensions/#-dont-bother useless] according to arkenfox dev (fingerprinting expert).
#Remove https://www.scamadviser.com/ - another one of those useless sites for determining safety. So many false positives. The highlights it produces have so much room for error, they arent accurate measurements of risk. Its more effective to report actual scams/badware sites to uAssets so it can be blocked for everyone using it.
#Include Triage, preferrably in front of VT, as it tends to be better. Also remove the mention of using these to scan websites. Scanning websites proves nothing and is useless for determining safety. Sticking to uBO badware lists and trusted sites in several established online wikis is the way to go.
#For archive.today, the examples used are outdated, and the use of the word "excluded" isnt really meaningful. archive.today cant archive new twitter threads, but its good for reddit, and is especially useful for paywalled articles from many sites. Could be changed to "... Smaller internet archival service for unsupported IA websites (e.g: Reddit, Paywalled Articles, Facebook)". Facebook is only partially working (cant use image carousel, cant expand comment replies) so you you may or may not want to still keep that, I personally wouldnt.
#Under "dark pattern tracking" add https://privacyspy.org/ under (or above) TOSDR. Its better in some cases, so if TOSDR doesn't have what you're looking for, this might.
#Also add https://games.productartistry.com/games/dark-patterns which is another "dark pattern detective" kind of site. Havent tried it in a while, things might have changed, I know the dev was very receptive of feedback on a HN post at least. Worth testing again before adding.

That is all. [[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] ([[User talk:Hugo9655|talk]]) 13:39, 8 November 2025 (UTC)

:I've changed the protection of this list such that you (and other autoconfirmed users) can edit it. The points you've made all seem reasonable!
:I assume archive.today can archive twitter if you archive the xcancel.com mirror of whatever you're wanting to archive on twitter? [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 15:33, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
::Hey. Didnt think to use frontends, xcancel specifically got stuck at the "verifying request" page, but another one i tried (nitter.net) works fine. Still mention twitter then, but clarify that it works best with frontends only.
::Did you mean access to this discussion here or the tools page itself? [[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] ([[User talk:Hugo9655|talk]]) 16:29, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
:::@[[User:Keith|Keith]] that won't work as cascading protection is turned on for the main page, which means that everything transcluded there won't be editable too like the main page no matter the protection settings. I'll fix it now [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|<i><b>AnotherConsumerRightsPerson</b></i>]] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 18:01, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
::::@[[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] should work now [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|<i><b>AnotherConsumerRightsPerson</b></i>]] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 18:07, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
:::::Cool, ty. [[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] ([[User talk:Hugo9655|talk]]) 18:58, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
::::Thank you very much! [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 01:41, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

==Safety Gate==

Please add the following line to "Corporate accountability & recalls"
*[https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/#/screen/home Safety Gate] – [[European Union|EU]] product recall and report site.
[[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 02:14, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

:And I was just about to do it myself... Tracerneo has {{Done}} it. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 15:49, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

Template talk:Main Page/Consumer Tools

2026-05-18T15:49:45Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Safety Gate */ Reply

==Multiple improvements==

I noticed this list seems to be pretty outdated. I thought of several changes that could improve this list:

#LocalCDN is [https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/4.1-Extensions/#-dont-bother useless] according to arkenfox dev (fingerprinting expert).
#Remove https://www.scamadviser.com/ - another one of those useless sites for determining safety. So many false positives. The highlights it produces have so much room for error, they arent accurate measurements of risk. Its more effective to report actual scams/badware sites to uAssets so it can be blocked for everyone using it.
#Include Triage, preferrably in front of VT, as it tends to be better. Also remove the mention of using these to scan websites. Scanning websites proves nothing and is useless for determining safety. Sticking to uBO badware lists and trusted sites in several established online wikis is the way to go.
#For archive.today, the examples used are outdated, and the use of the word "excluded" isnt really meaningful. archive.today cant archive new twitter threads, but its good for reddit, and is especially useful for paywalled articles from many sites. Could be changed to "... Smaller internet archival service for unsupported IA websites (e.g: Reddit, Paywalled Articles, Facebook)". Facebook is only partially working (cant use image carousel, cant expand comment replies) so you you may or may not want to still keep that, I personally wouldnt.
#Under "dark pattern tracking" add https://privacyspy.org/ under (or above) TOSDR. Its better in some cases, so if TOSDR doesn't have what you're looking for, this might.
#Also add https://games.productartistry.com/games/dark-patterns which is another "dark pattern detective" kind of site. Havent tried it in a while, things might have changed, I know the dev was very receptive of feedback on a HN post at least. Worth testing again before adding.

That is all. [[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] ([[User talk:Hugo9655|talk]]) 13:39, 8 November 2025 (UTC)

:I've changed the protection of this list such that you (and other autoconfirmed users) can edit it. The points you've made all seem reasonable!
:I assume archive.today can archive twitter if you archive the xcancel.com mirror of whatever you're wanting to archive on twitter? [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 15:33, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
::Hey. Didnt think to use frontends, xcancel specifically got stuck at the "verifying request" page, but another one i tried (nitter.net) works fine. Still mention twitter then, but clarify that it works best with frontends only.
::Did you mean access to this discussion here or the tools page itself? [[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] ([[User talk:Hugo9655|talk]]) 16:29, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
:::@[[User:Keith|Keith]] that won't work as cascading protection is turned on for the main page, which means that everything transcluded there won't be editable too like the main page no matter the protection settings. I'll fix it now [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|<i><b>AnotherConsumerRightsPerson</b></i>]] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 18:01, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
::::@[[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] should work now [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|<i><b>AnotherConsumerRightsPerson</b></i>]] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 18:07, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
:::::Cool, ty. [[User:Hugo9655|Hugo9655]] ([[User talk:Hugo9655|talk]]) 18:58, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
::::Thank you very much! [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 01:41, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

==Safety Gate==

Please add the following line to "Corporate accountability & recalls"
*[https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/#/screen/home Safety Gate] – [[European Union|EU]] product recall and report site.
[[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 02:14, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

:And I was just about to do it myself... Tracerneohas {{Done}} it. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 15:49, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

Consumer Rights Wiki talk:RfC: Page protection

2026-05-18T15:07:26Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Edit request system? */ Reply

This page is an RfC on the topic of the protection of pages on the Wiki.

The aim is to answer the question 'Should we lower the protection requirements for articles and templates which are currently restricted and, if so, which pages or namespaces should have their protections reduced?'

This text will be updated with the editor consensus and any actions taken, once confirmed.
[[Category:Open RfC]]

==The CRW's current rules, and the original reasoning behind them==

I'll start this off by clarifying that I haven't yet formed a full opinion on an answer to the central question of the RfC, but I'm putting this here for context on the current situation, and how we got here.

A brief overview on the current rules:
*The 'Consumer Rights Wiki namespace' is protected by default, as is the main page and any sub-pages that feed into it. Superconfirmed or above is required to edit.
*Specific article notices cannot be removed by users below 'Superconfirmed' (the practical implication of this being that the lines on which those notices appear cannot be edited by users below Superconfirmed).
*A variety of anti-spam filters are applied to edits by users who are not Confirmed.
*Pages cannot be deleted by users below Superconfirmed

The definitions of Moderator and Superconfirmed can be found here: [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Moderator_applications]]. These are the only two levels of elevated permissions which are regularly distributed.

Things taken into account when designing the original ruleset:
Firstly, the initial system was put in place while the CRW was small, and there were very few regular editors, meaning there was substantial concern about things 'slipping through the cracks' in regularly visited places. Realistically, I'd say we're probably now in a position where we have enough regular editors to properly audit and check the new edits feed so that blatant vandalism is unlikely to slip through the cracks, and so this concern is not as relevant as it once was.

Secondly, traffic to the Wiki tends now, and even more so when it was new, to come in waves and spikes when Louis or someone similar creates a video that links to it. This means that even a fairly quickly (say, 30 minutes-1 hour) reverted piece of vandalism on the front page or similar could affect a large proportion of visitors to the site if not very quickly (<5 min) rectified.

The concern, and addition of protections, around the removal of article notices was largely put in place to avoid the spreading of misinformation or libel about companies or individuals, which is a particularly relevant concern given the nature of the wiki. We get quite a lot of new editors who really just want to let rip on a certain company or individual, and having notices which are applied to the article, but require a moderator to remove, aimed to provide an alternative to speedy article deletion for such pages and ensure a proper audit of the page by someone trusted before the notice is removed. This is also why several article notice templates (such as Cleanup or Outdated) can be removed by any user, but the ones which have a significant bearing on an article's factual quality or tone (such as the Incomplete, StubNotice, or ToneWarning templates) can be removed only by privileged users who are trusted to judge whether or not the article should be presented to readers without any caveats or warnings (that being Superconfirmed or above).

It is also worth noting that the Wiki has very few wide-net editor restrictions in comparison to Wikipedia (over there, new users making changes from anything other than a residential IP address are blocked from editing), which is something we may want to bear in mind when assigning protection levels. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 21:38, 17 May 2026 (UTC)

==Edit request system?==

I've always thought it'd be great if it was super easy to make edit requests to pages (like om Wikipedia). [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 06:55, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

:How does it work there? I've only ever done it by just writing a comment on a talk page [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 08:40, 18 May 2026 (UTC)
::Basically:
::#A message pops up on protected pages which tells you to make an edit request (this is created in the mediawiki namespace)
::#When they click the make edit request button, they get sent to a talkpage section with the edit request template.
::#They are told to write the request below the template
::#When they save, this goes into a category
::#Someone answers or declines the edit request with the <code>|status=</code> parameter
::[[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 15:06, 18 May 2026 (UTC)
:::To try it out yourself, just go to a WP page (like [[wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]] and click view source [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 15:07, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

Consumer Rights Wiki talk:RfC: Page protection

2026-05-18T15:06:20Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Edit request system? */ Reply

This page is an RfC on the topic of the protection of pages on the Wiki.

The aim is to answer the question 'Should we lower the protection requirements for articles and templates which are currently restricted and, if so, which pages or namespaces should have their protections reduced?'

This text will be updated with the editor consensus and any actions taken, once confirmed.
[[Category:Open RfC]]

==The CRW's current rules, and the original reasoning behind them==

I'll start this off by clarifying that I haven't yet formed a full opinion on an answer to the central question of the RfC, but I'm putting this here for context on the current situation, and how we got here.

A brief overview on the current rules:
*The 'Consumer Rights Wiki namespace' is protected by default, as is the main page and any sub-pages that feed into it. Superconfirmed or above is required to edit.
*Specific article notices cannot be removed by users below 'Superconfirmed' (the practical implication of this being that the lines on which those notices appear cannot be edited by users below Superconfirmed).
*A variety of anti-spam filters are applied to edits by users who are not Confirmed.
*Pages cannot be deleted by users below Superconfirmed

The definitions of Moderator and Superconfirmed can be found here: [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Moderator_applications]]. These are the only two levels of elevated permissions which are regularly distributed.

Things taken into account when designing the original ruleset:
Firstly, the initial system was put in place while the CRW was small, and there were very few regular editors, meaning there was substantial concern about things 'slipping through the cracks' in regularly visited places. Realistically, I'd say we're probably now in a position where we have enough regular editors to properly audit and check the new edits feed so that blatant vandalism is unlikely to slip through the cracks, and so this concern is not as relevant as it once was.

Secondly, traffic to the Wiki tends now, and even more so when it was new, to come in waves and spikes when Louis or someone similar creates a video that links to it. This means that even a fairly quickly (say, 30 minutes-1 hour) reverted piece of vandalism on the front page or similar could affect a large proportion of visitors to the site if not very quickly (<5 min) rectified.

The concern, and addition of protections, around the removal of article notices was largely put in place to avoid the spreading of misinformation or libel about companies or individuals, which is a particularly relevant concern given the nature of the wiki. We get quite a lot of new editors who really just want to let rip on a certain company or individual, and having notices which are applied to the article, but require a moderator to remove, aimed to provide an alternative to speedy article deletion for such pages and ensure a proper audit of the page by someone trusted before the notice is removed. This is also why several article notice templates (such as Cleanup or Outdated) can be removed by any user, but the ones which have a significant bearing on an article's factual quality or tone (such as the Incomplete, StubNotice, or ToneWarning templates) can be removed only by privileged users who are trusted to judge whether or not the article should be presented to readers without any caveats or warnings (that being Superconfirmed or above).

It is also worth noting that the Wiki has very few wide-net editor restrictions in comparison to Wikipedia (over there, new users making changes from anything other than a residential IP address are blocked from editing), which is something we may want to bear in mind when assigning protection levels. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 21:38, 17 May 2026 (UTC)

==Edit request system?==

I've always thought it'd be great if it was super easy to make edit requests to pages (like om Wikipedia). [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 06:55, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

:How does it work there? I've only ever done it by just writing a comment on a talk page [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 08:40, 18 May 2026 (UTC)
::Basically:
::# A message pops up on protected pages which tells you to make an edit request (this is created in the mediawiki namespace)
::# When they click the make edit request button, they get sent to a talkpage section with the edit request template.
::# They are told to write the request below the template
::# When they save, this goes into a category
::# Someone answers or declines the edit request with the <code>|status=</code> parameter
::[[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 15:06, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

Consumer Rights Wiki talk:RfC: Page protection

2026-05-18T06:55:38Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Edit request system? */ new section

This page is an RfC on the topic of the protection of pages on the Wiki.

The aim is to answer the question 'Should we lower the protection requirements for articles and templates which are currently restricted and, if so, which pages or namespaces should have their protections reduced?'

This text will be updated with the editor consensus and any actions taken, once confirmed.
[[Category:Open RfC]]

== The CRW's current rules, and the original reasoning behind them ==

I'll start this off by clarifying that I haven't yet formed a full opinion on an answer to the central question of the RfC, but I'm putting this here for context on the current situation, and how we got here.

A brief overview on the current rules:
* The 'Consumer Rights Wiki namespace' is protected by default, as is the main page and any sub-pages that feed into it. Superconfirmed or above is required to edit.
* Specific article notices cannot be removed by users below 'Superconfirmed' (the practical implication of this being that the lines on which those notices appear cannot be edited by users below Superconfirmed).
* A variety of anti-spam filters are applied to edits by users who are not Confirmed.
* Pages cannot be deleted by users below Superconfirmed

The definitions of Moderator and Superconfirmed can be found here: [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Moderator_applications]]. These are the only two levels of elevated permissions which are regularly distributed.

Things taken into account when designing the original ruleset:
Firstly, the initial system was put in place while the CRW was small, and there were very few regular editors, meaning there was substantial concern about things 'slipping through the cracks' in regularly visited places. Realistically, I'd say we're probably now in a position where we have enough regular editors to properly audit and check the new edits feed so that blatant vandalism is unlikely to slip through the cracks, and so this concern is not as relevant as it once was.

Secondly, traffic to the Wiki tends now, and even more so when it was new, to come in waves and spikes when Louis or someone similar creates a video that links to it. This means that even a fairly quickly (say, 30 minutes-1 hour) reverted piece of vandalism on the front page or similar could affect a large proportion of visitors to the site if not very quickly (<5 min) rectified.

The concern, and addition of protections, around the removal of article notices was largely put in place to avoid the spreading of misinformation or libel about companies or individuals, which is a particularly relevant concern given the nature of the wiki. We get quite a lot of new editors who really just want to let rip on a certain company or individual, and having notices which are applied to the article, but require a moderator to remove, aimed to provide an alternative to speedy article deletion for such pages and ensure a proper audit of the page by someone trusted before the notice is removed. This is also why several article notice templates (such as Cleanup or Outdated) can be removed by any user, but the ones which have a significant bearing on an article's factual quality or tone (such as the Incomplete, StubNotice, or ToneWarning templates) can be removed only by privileged users who are trusted to judge whether or not the article should be presented to readers without any caveats or warnings (that being Superconfirmed or above).

It is also worth noting that the Wiki has very few wide-net editor restrictions in comparison to Wikipedia (over there, new users making changes from anything other than a residential IP address are blocked from editing), which is something we may want to bear in mind when assigning protection levels. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 21:38, 17 May 2026 (UTC)

== Edit request system? ==

I've always thought it'd be great if it was super easy to make edit requests to pages (like om Wikipedia). [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 06:55, 18 May 2026 (UTC)

Consumer Rights Wiki talk:Moderators' noticeboard

2026-05-17T04:32:17Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Editing templates, protected pages, deleting irrelevant articles */ Reply

Template talk:CompanyCargo

2026-05-16T16:46:32Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Might This Benefit from a "Based In" Field Specifying Country of Operation? */ Reply

==Wikidata==

I think adding a Wikidata QID field to this infobox would be good in the spirit of data interlinking.

Also, if you're willing to set up the Wikibase client extension, some of the other fields could be pulled from Wikidata:
*<code>Founded</code> is [[wikidata:Property:P571|P571 inception]]
*<code>Industry</code> is [[wikidata:Property:P452|P452 industry]] / [[wikidata:Property:P1056|P1056 product or material produced]], but the data is messy
*<code>Logo</code> is [[wikidata:Property:P154|P154 logo image]] (may require InstantCommons)
*<code>ParentCompany</code> is [[wikidata:Property:P749|P749 parent organization or unit]]
*<code>Type</code> is [[wikidata:Property:P1454|P1454 legal form]] / [[wikidata:Property:P31|P31 instance of]], but the data is messy
*<code>Website</code> is [[wikidata:Property:P856|P856 official website]] / [[wikidata:Property:P13337|P13337 domain name]]
For an example, [[wikidata:Q95|Q95 Google]] has all of these set. [[User:YoshiRulz|YoshiRulz]] ([[User talk:YoshiRulz|talk]]) 21:17, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

==Might This Benefit from a "Based In" Field Specifying Country of Operation?==

title. [[User:IWillRememberMyPassword|IWillRememberMyPassword]] ([[User talk:IWillRememberMyPassword|talk]]) 18:04, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

:In such a situation, "International" could also exist as an option for multi-national groups / orgos. Just an idea. [[User:IWillRememberMyPassword|IWillRememberMyPassword]] ([[User talk:IWillRememberMyPassword|talk]]) 18:05, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
::Yes, but sadly this is not likely to happen. Basically, all ____Cargo templates use an extension that is hard to use, and basically pretty much all of the contributors that know how to use the extension have left. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 18:29, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
:::It could be done already if every single page and template of interoperability importance wasn't protected. It's worse than DRM. Same with main page pages. The wiki is probably losing more contributors due to the nonsensical limitations, than it is gaining in value from protection against any hypothetical vandalism. [[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 14:58, 16 May 2026 (UTC)
::::@[[User:Keith|Keith]] I think the above comment is fair tbh [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 16:46, 16 May 2026 (UTC)

==Name (or Company) field==

Please add Name (or Company) field to the template, to render instead of the default <nowiki>{{PAGENAME}}</nowiki>, so that it can be used when "company" doesn't need its own page. See UOKiK (consumer protection agency) in [[Poland]] article. [[User:Tracerneo|Tracerneo]] ([[User talk:Tracerneo|talk]]) 14:49, 16 May 2026 (UTC)

Disboard

2026-05-16T13:07:11Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* User freedom */ -some irrelevant info, OH WAIT, IT'S THE ENTIRE SECTION!!

{{Stub}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Founded=2018
|Industry=Social media service
|Logo=Disboard logo.png
|Type=Private
|Website=https://disboard.org/
|CompanyAlias=DISBOARD
}}
'''Disboard''' is a public [[Discord]] server list that allows users to share Discord server invites using their Discord bot. Through the Disboard bot users can make invites for their server and "bump" the server on Disboards server list.

==Consumer impact summary==
===User privacy===
*Disboard does not sell any data related to users according to their Terms of Service.<ref name="TOS">{{Cite web |date=2025-02-11 |title=Terms of Service {{!}} DISBOARD: Discord Server List |url=https://disboard.org/site/tos |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260306115320/https://disboard.org/site/tos |archive-date=6 Mar 2026 |access-date=11 May 2026 |website=Disboard}}</ref>
*Collected data includes: All user activity on Disboard and information returned by Discords API, which includes things like profile pictures and account names. E-mail addresses are however not saved by the service.<ref name="TOS"></ref>
*Disboard does not contact users about changes to the Terms of Service, stating that users need to keep track of the TOS changes themselves.<ref name="TOS"></ref>
*Disboard follows through with "The right to restrict processing" requests and with "The right to erasure" related requests.<ref name="TOS"></ref>

===Business model===
*Disboard makes money through selling advertisement spots on their websites.<ref name="TOS"></ref>

===Market control===
*Disboard is the largest and most used third party Discord server listing site.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 May 2026 |title=Bot:DISBOARD {{!}} Discord Wiki {{!}} Fandom |url=https://discord.fandom.com/wiki/Bot:DISBOARD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260411231628/https://discord.fandom.com/wiki/Bot:DISBOARD |archive-date=11 Apr 2026 |access-date=11 May 2026 |website=Disboard}}</ref>
*Disboard has plenty of competitors and as such does not have total market control.

==Incidents==

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Server listings for CSAM servers (''2021—2023'')===
From 2021 to 2023 Disboard had a platform-wide moderation problem related to listings for servers advertising or containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) content. During this time period, search queries related to either adult material or to CSAM slang would return pages upon pages of servers all with the same names and server icons that all contained CSAM.

On 14 January 2023, the YouTuber known as iamLucid made a video covering the CSAM listings, using info from a documented handed to him by an anonymous fan.<ref>{{Cite web |author=iamLucid |title=discord has a CP problem |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ANZU4liRQU |website=[[YouTube]] |date=14 Jan 2023 |access-date=10 May 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=8ANZU4liRQU |archive-date=5 Apr 2026}}</ref> A couple of weeks after his video went live his video had gained over a million views, but more importantly, the server listings users had been complaining to Disboard about for years were quickly all removed and blocked. With no servers like them popping up after iamLucid's video, though other types of child abuse servers kept existing on the platform and as of May 2026 still do.<ref>{{Cite web |author=No Text To Speech |title=The Worst Website on Discord... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QacpIq4lWzc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=26 Aug 2024 |access-date=10 May 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=QacpIq4lWzc |archive-date=26 Aug 2024}}</ref>

The document in question was created by two Disboard users with the screen-name "Evan" and "Joe". According to them, they had contacted the Disboard moderators in 2022 and reported their findings, to which the moderators responded by saying they were working on the issue. Until iamLucid's viral video, obvious violations like the "taboo" and "S2R" (Send to Receive) tags were not dealt with even though these violations were reported dozens of times to Disboard.<ref name="Document">{{Cite web |author1=Evan |author2=Joe |title=Giant CP Problem |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t3h4hS1D6-YpXMaYQbWxcVk8VXq675aHTiO8soAP6NI |website=[[Google]] |date=23 Nov 2021 |access-date=10 May 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0405-2333-30/https://consumerrights.wiki:443/images/4/48/Giant_CP_Problem.pdf |archive-date=5 Apr 2026}}</ref>

While these server listings were on Disboard, the company gained ad revenue from people taking a look at said listings, with these servers having hundreds of members joining per hour through Disboard.<ref name="Document" />

"Evan" and "Joe" were banned entirely from the Disboard service after iamLucid's video, and still are as of 2026.<ref name="Document" />

==Products==
*[https://disboard.org/ Disboard]

==See also==
*[[Discord]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Companies]]

Talk:Microsoft Windows 11

2026-05-16T13:04:13Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Incidents section is a huge mess */ new section

== why separate article? ==

Not complaining, but, I'm curious about why separate article was needed instead of using the existing article about m$-windows [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 01:46, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

== Incidents section is a huge mess ==

I doubt a lot of things there are relevant, and there are so many sections that atp just use a table and make individual articles for the (few) relevant things [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|'''''AnotherConsumerRightsPerson''''']] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 13:04, 16 May 2026 (UTC)

Balena

2026-05-15T20:11:21Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Products */ -irrelevant section, after reading this I'm now glad I used Rufus to flash arch linux (btw) onto a USB

{{CompanyCargo
|Description=
|Founded=2013
|Industry=Software
|Logo=Balena.png
|ParentCompany=
|Type=Private
|Website=https://www.balena.io/
}}
[[wikipedia:Etcher (software)|'''Balena''']] (formerly known as [https://resin.io/ Resin.io]) provides a platform focused on DevOps management for servers, clients, and local cross platform device software. It also offers tools for updating, deploying and maintaining code bases.

==Consumer-impact summary==
Balena has been one of the bigger companies that has open sourced most if not all products for users to tinker with. However, recently they have resorted to anti-consumer tactics. Such violations include:

*Breach of user trust
*Adding adware to its services
*Leveraging its reach to the vulnerable tech illiterate

==Incidents==

===Balena Etcher Collecting data on users drive and filename being flashed (2018 - present)===
As early as 2018, Balena has been gathering specific user telemetry on their software [https://etcher.balena.io/ Balena Etcher] without consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@sneak |date=2018-02-18 |title=etcher spies on the user without consent · Issue #2057 · balena-io/etcher |url=https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/issues/2057 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311071415/https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/issues/2057 |archive-date=2025-03-11 |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Github Issues}}</ref> Specific information includes IP address, USB device info and the filename being flashed being sold to their 3rd party AD network partners compromising users privacy and trust for profit. Many other privacy focused open sourced groups that have relied on Etcher like [https://tails.net/ Tails] have completely removed recommendation of using Balena Etcher to install their operating system.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=Tails - Replacing balenaEtcher with Rufus as installer for Windows |url=https://tails.net/news/rufus/index.en.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330003542/https://tails.net/news/rufus/index.en.html |archive-date=2025-03-30 |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Tails}}</ref> While there are many alternatives to Balena Etcher they tend to be a bit less user friendly and likely are not cross platform. Making them the de-facto choice among non tech literate users that are drawn into using it.

===Balena's Privacy Policy===
Recently Balena made a minor change to its privacy policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-01 |title=Old Privacy Statement - balena |url=https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322034030/https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |archive-date=2025-03-22 |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Balena}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-27 |title=Privacy Statement - balena |url=https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327215930/https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |archive-date=2025-03-27 |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Balena}}</ref>. While the change was minor, the policy itself has been noted{{Citation needed}} to contain several clauses which users found concerning, including the following:

====Fingerprinting users with help of third parties====
<blockquote>"'''Automatic Data Collection'''. We may collect certain information automatically when you use the Services. This information may include your Internet protocol (IP) address, user settings, MAC address, cookie identifiers, mobile carrier, mobile advertising and other unique identifiers, details about your browser, operating system or device, location information, Internet service provider, pages that you visit before, during and after using the Services, information about the links you click, and other information about how you use the Services. Information we collect may be associated with accounts and other devices."</blockquote><blockquote>"We may obtain information about you from other sources, including through third party services and organizations to supplement information provided by you. This supplemental information allows us to verify information that you have provided to us and to enhance our ability to provide you with information about our business, products, and Services."</blockquote>

====Collecting information on your referrals or "friends/colleagues"====
<blockquote>"Share Content with Friends or Colleagues. Our Services may offer various tools and functionalities. For example, we may allow you to provide information about your friends through our referral services. Our referral services may allow you to forward or share certain content with a friend or colleague, such as an email inviting your friend to use our Services."</blockquote>

====Sharing information collected about you to third parties and AD networks====
<blockquote>"We may share any personal information we collect about you with our third- party service providers. The categories of service providers to whom we entrust personal information include: IT and related services; information and services; payment processors; customer service providers; and vendors to support the provision of the Services."</blockquote><blockquote>"'''Business Partners.'''

We may provide personal information to business partners with whom we jointly offer products or services. In such cases, our business partner's name will appear along with ours.

'''Affiliates.'''

We may share personal information with our affiliated companies."</blockquote>

====Having to manually request data to be erased through legal channels instead of by default====
<blockquote>"You can access and modify the personal information associated with your Account by logging in to your Balena account. If you want us to delete your personal information and your Account, please contact us at legal@balena.io with your request. We will take steps to delete your information as soon we can, but some information may remain in archived/backup copies for our records or as otherwise required by law."</blockquote>

==Alternatives==

*[https://rufus.ie/en/ Rufus]

==References==
<references />
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

BowFlex, Inc.

2026-05-15T20:08:56Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: double notice....

{{Incomplete|Issue 1=more research & references needed|Issue 2=Needs to be formatted to [[Template:CompanyPreload]]}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Description=Bowflex is a fitness brand selling home exercise equipment such as adjustable dumbbells, home gyms, treadmills, and accessories and workout programs & resources.
|Founded=1986
|Industry=Fitness
|Logo=Bowflex logo.svg
|ParentCompany=
|Type=Public
|Website=https://www.bowflex.com/
}}
[[wikipedia:Bowflex|'''BowFlex, Inc.''']] is a fitness-equipment manufacturer headquartered in Vancouver, Washington.

==Consumer-impact summary==

====User privacy====

*The BowFlex [[privacy policy]] includes a [[post-purchase EULA modification]] where the user must opt out of the sale of their data.

*BowFlex collects biometric information and will disclose it to "third parties who may acquire your information as a result of a merger, acquisition or other ownership transition".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-01 |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://www.bowflex.com/global-assets/legal/privacy-policy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/yXo1R |archive-date=15 Apr 2026 |website=[[BowFlex]]}}</ref>

====User freedom====

*JRNY service includes [[digital rights management]], which restricts access to stock Android features, like installing apps.
*Even with a JRNY subscription, you are limited to a small subset of streaming platform applications.
*BowFlex includes [[forced arbitration]] in its [[end-user license agreement]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-03 |title=Terms of Use |url=https://www.bowflex.com/global-assets/legal/terms-of-use.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/k9WBJ |archive-date=15 Apr 2026 |website=[[BowFlex]]}}</ref>

==Incidents==
===JRNY service===
JRNY is an "adaptive fitness membership" provided by BowFlex that is facilitated by their [[wikipedia:Android_(operating_system)|Android]]-equipped fitness hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JRNY |url=https://www.bowflex.com/jrny.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/RvKkk |archive-date=15 Apr 2026 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=[[BowFlex]]}}</ref>

===Recalls (''2025'')===
On June 5, 2025, The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled over 3.7 million BowFlex 552 adjustable dumbbells due to an impact hazard caused when the weight plates "dislodge from the handle during use"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=I. |date=10 Jun 2025 |title=BowFlex Recalls 3.8 Million Dumbbells After Injury Reports |url=https://www.drugs.com/news/bowflex-recalls-3-8-million-dumbbells-after-injury-reports-125328.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/vcDPG |archive-date=15 Apr 2026 |access-date= |work=Drugs.com}}</ref>

=References=
<references />
[[Category:BowFlex]]

European Union

2026-05-14T20:23:45Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: /* Stop Destroying Videogames (ECI) */ im too lazy to find a citation so i added a citation needed tag lol

{{CompanyCargo
|CompanyAlias=EU
|Founded=1993
|Logo=Flag of Europe.svg
|Type=Government
|Website=https://european-union.europa.eu/
|Description=The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe.
}}
The '''European Union''' ('''EU''') is a political and [[wikipedia:economic union|economic union]] of 27 [[wikipedia:Member state of the European Union|member states]] that are [[wikipedia:Geography of the European Union|located primarily]] in Europe.

Article 169 of the [[wikipedia:TFEU|Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]] enables the EU to use its [[wikipedia:ordinary legislative procedure|ordinary legislative procedure]] to protect consumers "health, safety and economic interests" and promote rights to "information, education and to organise themselves in order to safeguard their interests".<ref>[[wikipedia:TFEU|TFEU]] [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Consolidated_version_of_the_Treaty_on_the_Functioning_of_the_European_Union/Title_XV:_Consumer_Protection art 169]</ref> All member states may grant higher protection, and a "high level of consumer protection" is regarded as a fundamental right.<ref>[[wikipedia:TFEU|TFEU]] art 169(3) and the [[wikipedia:CFREU|CFREU]] [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Charter_of_Fundamental_Rights_of_the_European_Union#Article_38_.E2.80.93_Consumer_protection art 38]</ref>

==Consumer rights legislation==
* Product Liability Directive (EU) [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/2853/oj 2024/2853]
** replacing [[wikipedia:Product Liability Directive 1985|Product Liability]] Directive [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/1985/374/oj 85/374/EEC]
* [[wikipedia:Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Directive 1993|Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts]] Directive [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/1993/13/oj 93/13/EEC]
* [[wikipedia:Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005|Unfair Commercial Practices]] Directive [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2005/29/oj 2005/29/EC]
* [[wikipedia:Consumer Rights Directive 2011|Consumer Rights]] Directive [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/83/oj 2011/83/EU]
* [[General Data Protection Regulation]] (Regulation (EU) [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj 2016/679]) (''GDPR'')
* [[Digital Markets Act]] (Regulation (EU) [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj 2022/1925]) (''DMA'')
* Anti-[[SLAPP suits and legal intimidation|SLAPP]] Directive (EU) [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1069/oj 2024/1069]
* [[Right to repair|Right To Repair]] Directive (EU) [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1799/oj 2024/1799] (''R2RD'')

==Consumer protection==
[https://commission.europa.eu/topics/consumers/consumer-rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumer-protection/consumer-protection-cooperation-network_en Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network] coordinates national consumer authorities work at EU level, regulated by Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation (EU) [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/2394/oj 2017/2394]. At national level consumer rights investigations and enforcement are carried out by relevant CPC actors – [https://commission.europa.eu/topics/consumers/consumer-rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumer-protection/consumer-protection-cooperation-network/list-cpc-single-liaison-offices_en CPC single liaison offices] and [https://commission.europa.eu/topics/consumers/consumer-rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumer-protection/consumer-protection-cooperation-network/list-cpc-competent-authorities_en CPC competent authorities].

==Incidents==
This is a list of the most important consumer-protection incidents concerning European Union. Full list of relevant pages can be found under [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Chat Control===
{{Main|Chat Control}}
In 2021, the EU passed the Regulation (EU) [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1232/oj 2021/1232] ('''"Chat Control 1.0"''') on a temporary derogation from certain provisions of ePrivacy Directive [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2002/58/oj 2002/58/EC] (''ePD'') allowing providers to scan communications indiscriminately if they choose so.

So far, only unencrypted US communication services make use of these provisions. In March 2026, the European Parliament rejected a second extension of the regulation – the temporary directive provisions expired on the 3rd of April 2026. However [[Google]], [[Meta]], [[Microsoft]] and [[Snap]] announced that they will continue indiscriminate and warrentless scanning of private messages.<ref>[https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/posts/chat-control/ Chat Control: The EU’s CSAM scanner proposal – Patrick Breyer]</ref>

On 11 May 2022 the European Commission presented a proposal ('''"Chat Control 2.0"''') which would have made chat control searching mandatory for all e-mail and messenger providers and would even have applied to so far securely end-to-end encrypted communication services. The regulation is expected to be adopted in July 2026, with possible amendments.{{UpdateNeeded|reason=Current status uncertain|date=May 2026}}

===Stop Destroying Videogames (ECI)===
{{Main|Stop Killing Games}}
On 19 June 2024, "'''Stop Destroying Videogames'''" was registered as a '''European Citizens' Initiative''' by Daniel Ondruska.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ondruska |first=Daniel |date=19 Jun 2024 |title=Stop Destroying Videogames |url=https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2024/000007_en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619131907/https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2024/000007_en |archive-date=19 Jun 2024 |access-date=10 Nov 2025 |website=European Citizens' Initiative}}</ref> A month and a half later, on 31 July 2024, the initiative began collecting signatures.

The collection of signatures ended 1 August 2025, with a total of 1,448,270 and 24 out of 27 state members crossing the minimum thresholds. In an announcement from the initiative campaigners on 24 January 2026, the final count of verified signatures was 1,294,188.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Mr_Presidentle |title=Stop Killing Games: Final Count of Verified Signatures of the European Citizens Initiative |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/StopKillingGames/comments/1qluxts/stop_killing_games_final_count_of_verified/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=24 Jan 2026 |access-date=25 Jan 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260126002806/https://old.reddit.com/r/StopKillingGames/comments/1qluxts/stop_killing_games_final_count_of_verified/ |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref>
This has since been discussed by the EU.{{citation needed}}

==Products==
{{Ph-C-P}}

==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Template:Outdated/section

2026-05-14T15:42:08Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Protected "Template:Outdated/section": High traffic page: As a notice template ([Edit=Allow only autoconfirmed users] (indefinite) [Move=Allow only autoconfirmed users] (indefinite))

<noinclude>
== Usage ==
Simply add <code><nowiki>{{outdated/section}}</nowiki></code> at the top of an section whose content may no longer be current.
{{outdated/section}}
=== Parameters ===
* <code>nocat=yes</code> — suppress automatic categorisation.
* <code>clear=false</code> — don't insert a <code><nowiki>{{clear}}</nowiki></code> before the box.
=== Live preview ===
</noinclude>{{#switch:{{{clear|}}}|#default={{clear}}|false=}}<div style="border:1px solid rgba(120,70,0,0.8); background:rgba(120,70,0,0.08); padding:6px 12px; margin:0.5em auto; border-radius:3px; font-size:0.95em; max-width:600px;">
<span style="font-size:1.5em; margin-right:8px; vertical-align:middle; line-height:1;">📅</span><span style="vertical-align:middle;">'''This section may be outdated'''. Some information may no longer reflect the current situation.</span><br>
</div><includeonly>{{#ifeq:{{NAMESPACE}}||{{#ifeq:{{{nocat|}}}|yes||[[Category:sections in need of updates]][[Category:section status templates]]}}}}</includeonly>

Template:Clear

2026-05-13T15:27:48Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Protected "Template:Clear": High traffic page ([Edit=Allow only administrators] (indefinite) [Move=Allow only administrators] (indefinite))

<div style="clear:{{{1|both}}};" class={{{class|}}}></div><noinclude>"This template makes content wait until existing content is completed in all columns. It is often used to prevent text from flowing next to unrelated images."<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Clear</ref><references />[[Category:Styling templates]]</noinclude>

Article suggestions

2026-05-12T20:05:33Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: -irrelevant entries

This page is dedicated towards providing a communal list for users to submit potential articles to feature on the wiki, and to give editors inspiration on what pages they might want to add to the wiki. If you create an article based on an entry from this list, or see that someone else has done so, please make sure to delete the row from this page in order to prevent confusion.

Sources should be inserted within the 'refs' section of the table. If using the visual editor, take advantage of '<nowiki/>'''insert reference'''<nowiki/>' via {{Key press|Ctrl|Shift|K}} so that the sources are quick to add to future articles. If you are using the source editor, feel free to copy and paste the formatting from other correctly formatted references on the page. The more sources you include with an article idea, the more likely it is that others will pick the article idea up and run with it, so please attempt to include a good variety of descriptive sources!

Please take note of the wiki's [[Consumer Rights Wiki:Inclusion guidelines|Inclusion criteria]] when submitting article suggestions. If you see article suggestions here which do not fit the Wiki, feel free to remove them, leaving your reasoning in an edit note.

If you are an editor looking for further inspiration to write an article, you can also check out the [[Louis Rossmann - Video Directory|Louis Rossmann video directory]] and [[Other Channels - Video Directory|other channels video directory]] for a good collections of potential articles.

==Example==
Below is an example of what an entry should appear as:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[Nintendo]]
|In 2025, the company Nintendo stripped Switch 2 consoles that used the MIG switch cartridge of all online functionality
|<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Scattered Brain |date=Jun 16, 2025 |title=Soo... Nintendo banned my Switch 2 (Don't try the MIG Switch!) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExgYTA18_vo&t=656s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=ExgYTA18_vo |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=Jun 18, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=Jun 17, 2025 |title=Switch 2 users report online console bans after running personal game “backups” |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/playing-personal-game-backups-could-get-your-switch-2-banned-by-nintendo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251222013641/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/playing-personal-game-backups-could-get-your-switch-2-banned-by-nintendo/ |archive-date=22 Dec 2025|access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|}

==List of incidents not yet covered==
[[Category:Sources]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|194 Online Marketing Services (incl. [[Google]], [[Microsoft]], [[Meta]])
|Survey shows that more than half of websites set marketing cookies despite users opting out via Do Not Track header, Browser add-ons or by declining cookie banners. Google calles it a "misunderstanding of how their products work", Meta comments that according to the law an opt-out only prohibits selling of the data, not collecting it.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.404media.co/google-microsoft-meta-all-tracking-you-even-when-you-opt-out-according-to-an-independent-audit/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://globalprivacyaudit.org/2026/california}}</ref>
|-
|[[8Player]]
|In early March, 2026, the Apple TV application called 8Player began displaying a notice informing users who had already paid for the app, that the app would not continue to function unless they agreed to an ongoing subscription.
The text of the notice says the following:
----Thank you for being a valued 8player user.

To keep improving the app and delivering new features, 8player is moving to a subscription model.

You can continue using the full version at no cost until April 15, 2026.

After that, activate the subscription in the app to keep full access. Your existing features will remain available, and no action is needed today.

Thank you for supporting 8player over the years.

[[:File:8player-subscription-model-notice.png]]
|
|-
|[[ABC Financial Services]]
|Manages memberships and recurring service subscriptions for other companies. Prevents customers from being able to cancel a service by locking them into a never-ending cycle of auto renewals, and not allowing the customer to opt out of auto renewal.
|
|-
|[[Acer]]
|Removed Predator/Nitro Sense Applications for laptops from their support sites somewhere in early March 2026 (Looking at wayback machine snapshots). The application is required by the laptops to be able to toggle "Turbo" mode, which applies overclocks and boosts cooling. Additionally, recent Windows update(s) (KB5083769/KB5082417) have broken the application, making users unable to use it even if you were able to install it.
|
|-
|Affinity / [[Canva]] page created needs editors to help
|Canva purchases [[Serif]]; the owner of perpetual license design software Affinity Publisher, Designer, and Photo on March 26th 2024. Provides a pledge to assure users that Canva will not "ruin" the suite. In October 2025, Affinity users are locked out of the community forum for a new "Creative Freedom" announcement on October 30th 2025. Complete radio silence for a whole month while they tease long term users on Twitter and Discord. Finally on October 30th 2025, the new Affinity software is announced as "free". Instead, all creative professionals that used the original software are forced to create a new Canva account to access the new Affinity and thus agree to Canva's ToS<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2025-10-30 |title=Canva Terms of Use |url=https://www.canva.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128105545/https://www.canva.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2026|website=Canva Legal Trust Center}}</ref>. Affinity redirects the pledge page to an announcement for the new software, effectively burying the original pledge<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-03-27 |title=The Affinity and Canva Pledge |url=https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/press/newsroom/affinity-and-canva-pledge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251002083749/https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/press/newsroom/affinity-and-canva-pledge/ |archive-date=2025-10-02 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref>. Questions about Canva now being able to monetize the work of professionals to train their own AI models sold to Canva users are left unanswered. Free, but at what cost?
EDIT: Initial article has been written but needs more work, citation, and verification. [[Canva Affinity Studio adds arbitration clause|See this article here]].
|<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />
|-
|[[Alibaba]]
|{{Wplink|Alibaba Group|Wikipedia entry}}
|
|-
|[[Apotheka]]
|Personal ID codes, purchase information and contact details of almost half of Estonian citizens and residents have been compromised in a mass data breach of the IT system operated by Allium UPI, a firm dealing with pharmacy and hospital products.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-04 |title=Cybercriminals steal data of around 700,000 Apotheka pharmacy customers |url=https://news.err.ee/1609302096/cybercriminals-steal-data-of-around-700-000-apotheka-pharmacy-customers |url-status=live |website=[[ERR]]}}</ref>
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|[[Apple]]
|$17 000 Apple Watch 18 karat gold edition out of support only 8 years after its introduction (not end of sale!). This means no software support, and, crucially, no repair or replacement parts. If the battery dies, the watch is but a paperweight.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apple will no longer fix the $17,000 gold Apple Watch |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/2/23900158/apple-watch-edition-gold-2015-obsolete-unsupported-beyonce |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222211749/https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/2/23900158/apple-watch-edition-gold-2015-obsolete-unsupported-beyonce |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|website=The Verge}}</ref>
|-
|[[Apple]], [[Beats]]
|No support for Powerbeats (4th generation) despite the headphones being under 5 years from when Apple last distributed the product for sale. The product is not listed as discontinued or vintage, and by Apple's own guidelines, should be eligible for replacement parts and repair. OEM replacement eartips cannot be purchased for any Beats earphones.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty |url=https://support.apple.com/en-us/102772 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260207094149/https://support.apple.com/en-us/102772 |archive-date=7 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Beats Repair and Service |url=https://support.apple.com/beats/repair |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260104000857/https://support.apple.com/beats/repair |archive-date=4 Jan 2026|access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Apple store search for eartips |url=https://www.apple.com/us/search/eartips?src=alp |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251028001314/https://www.apple.com/us/search/eartips?src=alp |archive-date=28 Oct 2025|access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref>
|-
|[[Apple]] iWork/Creator Studio
|The update that makes the iWork apps part of the new Apple Creator Studio subscription now adds tracking that is enabled by default and implemented as opt-out. The information about it is displayed in a first launch screen without any immediate way opt out, which qualifies as a dark pattern. Instead, the user has to go through a slightly convoluted path via the iPhone/iPad system settings app, and under the submenu "Apps" find each of the iWork apps and disable analytics there individually for each app. On Desktop, it is under a dedicated menu item under the "Pages"/"Numbers"/"Keynote" menu.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=New versions of Keynote, Numbers, and Pages collect telemetry by default on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/1qq7q9m/new_versions_of_keynote_numbers_and_pages_collect/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032029/https://old.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/1qq7q9m/new_versions_of_keynote_numbers_and_pages_collect/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[archive.today]] / archive.ph (Web Archival Service)
|The website used [[JavaScript]] embedded into the website code to conduct a DDOS attack from users' devices against a blogger who has voiced criticism of the service in the past. This may make also cause legal issues for users.
NOTE: A similar technique has previously been used by Chinese search giant [[Baidu]], so we might want to create a category or tag for this type of thing

ADDENDUM: This page was reported to have been changing the information displayed in some archived screenshots, such as the author who published particular articles.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirchner |first=Malte |last2=Kunz |first2=Dr. Christopher |date=10 Feb 2026 |title=Archive.today: Operator uses users for DDoS attack |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Archive-today-Operator-uses-users-for-DDoS-attack-11171455.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260212060655/https://www.heise.de/en/news/Archive-today-Operator-uses-users-for-DDoS-attack-11171455.html |archive-date=12 Feb 2026 |website=heise}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=LMG Clips |title=Wikipedia Banned 690,000 Archive Links - LMG Clips |url=https://youtu.be/rrnFUvFGf5A?si=32JRogu2ID9xykHd |access-date=2026-03-03 |website=LMG Clips on YouTube - Wikipedia Banned 690,000 Archive Links}}</ref>
|-
|[[ASUS]] (ROG)
|Releases bios updates via windows executable, meaning that you can't update your bios to the latest version to amend a security vulnerability or fix an issue unless you're running microsoft windows. The windows executable simply extracts a binary file, that you can drop on a thumb drive. This could be easily done via direct download to support other operating systems.
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|[[AutoAuth]]
|'''AutoAuth''' represents a significant shift toward "repair-by-subscription," where owning a vehicle no longer guarantees the right to maintain it. By placing a digital firewall between the owner and the car’s computer, AutoAuth forces independent shops and DIY enthusiasts to pay recurring access fees and register their personal data with a third-party gatekeeper just to perform basic maintenance, such as electronic parking brake retractions or oil life resets.
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|-
|[[Backblaze]]
|Backblaze makes canceling a subscription needlessly complex and convoluted. This is referring to their personal backup solution, I do not know how other subscriptions are handled.
To cancel a Backblaze subscription after 30 days you are required to delete your account. A full refund can apparently be requested within that window
[https://www.backblaze.com/company/policy/payments-and-refunds "Payments and refunds"].
If after 30 days you decide to cancel or switch to a different service after your subscription ends you have the following options:
1. Wait until the end of your subscription to cancel.
2. Delete your account, removing your access to the service prematurely.
There is no "do not renew" option, even removing your payment information is not possible. In my opinion it should be possible to enjoy the access you paid for without having to remember to cancel a year or two later.
[https://help.backblaze.com/hc/en-us/articles/217665728-Canceling-and-Deleting-a-Backblaze-Account "Canceling and deleting a Backblaze account"]
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|-
|[[Bayer]]
|[[wikipedia:Bayer|Wikipedia]]. See [[Monsanto]]
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|[[Benjamin]]
|Offerwall phone app that pays users money for various tasks- such as watching ads, or downloading and using software. After years of user satisfaction, in late 2025, the company first put a 2 month moratorium on users' ability to withdraw their earned money, then rolled out a massive wave of enshittification features, the most egregious of which, is a "withdrawl queue", where withdrawing your earnings is placed into a queue with no visible progress. No days, no queue tracker, many members have been waiting over 3 months for their withdrawls to be processed, on a feature listed as "instant withdrawl". Various policies also implemented that would completely void a user's earned money, mainly inactivity but also many baseless random user bans (many of which were reversed). There are hundreds of frustrated user testimonials on reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/benjaminone/).
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|-
|Berlin
|City of Berlin installs security cameras that alerts authorities about people who are "loitering without reason".
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krempl |first=Stefan |date=10 Mar 2026 |title=Surveillance in Berlin: When AI reports "loitering without reason" |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Surveillance-in-Berlin-When-AI-reports-loitering-without-reason-11206420.html |website=heise}}</ref>
|-
|[[Better Business Bureau]] (BBB)
|Users who have been wronged and even scammed by companies have recently started reporting that the BBB has ignored, rejected, misclassified, closed prematurely or taken down their valid, BBB compliant, complaints for no apparent reason<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-03-29 |title=Better Business Bureau Reviews |url=https://www.trustpilot.com/review/bbb.org |url-status=live |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=Trustpilot}}</ref>. Attempts to remedy the situation often result in unanswered/ignored emails and ghosting. Companies with large percentages of unresolved complaints often get an A+ rating (which basically contradicts the BBB's own guidelines). This is especially true when it comes to paying BBB member companies, but is often also the case with non member companies. A Redditors explained that a company can easily buy an A+ BBB rating by paying the BBB<ref>{{Cite web |title=Waste Managment sent an ad disguised as a bill |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ColoradoSprings/comments/1l6hr18/comment/mwpys3o/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button |url-status=live |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=Reddit}}</ref> or by paying a lawyer to threaten to sue the BBB for defamation.
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|-
|[[Best Buy]]
|In late 2025, BestBuy added [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/help-topics/pricing-message/pcmcat748302046647.c?id=pcmcat748302046647#:~:text=Our%20%E2%80%9CComparable%20Value%E2%80%9D%20(Comp,retailers%20or%20e%2Dcommerce%20companies. "Comparable Value"] as means of comparing values of products that is of equivalent value to other products sold by manufacturers, 1st party, or 3rd party vendors. Changes to their pricing model has made it to where it is more difficult to determine overall value of a product compared to MSRP.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Support |first=Best Buy |date=2025-01-24 |title=Pricing: Promotions |url=https://www.bestbuy.com/site/help-topics/pricing-message/pcmcat748302046647.c?id=pcmcat748302046647#:~:text=Our%20%E2%80%9CComparable%20Value%E2%80%9D%20(Comp,retailers%20or%20e%2Dcommerce%20companies. |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-24 |website=Best Buy}}</ref>
|-
|[[Blackview]]
|[https://www.blackview.hk Blackview], a technology brand that originally specialized in rugged outdoor phones more info at [https://www.blackview.hk/about-blackview "About us]"
Certain Phones have been hit with advertisements from the App called "System message" which is baked in the OS, "Allow Notification dots" can be disabled however "All System message notifications" and neither "Push" notifications cannot be disabled by the user. The App cannot be disabled nor uninstalled, it can be forced stopped and set the battery restriction option to "restricted". I [[User:SolidSnakePliskin|SolidSnakePliskin]] creating this entry have seen this happen firsthand on 1st April 2026 on my Blackview Model Number: N6000 (EEA) Purchased on [https://web.archive.org/web/20260401174012/https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0CCXBNTWR Amazon Italy]. OS Details: Android Version 13 (Security Update November 5, 2025) & DokeOS 3.1. Further More other Reddit users complaining [https://old.reddit.com/r/blackview/comments/1mo441x/get_rid_of_system_notification_that_contains_ads/ here].
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|[[Bluesky]]
|Introduced ID check for Direct Messaging to comply with laws in certain states and abroad, despite both the company and community being against it.
Its legal docs ([https://bsky.social/about/support/tos ToS], [https://bsky.social/about/support/privacy-policy PP], [https://bsky.social/about/support/community-guidelines CG]) need [[JavaScript|JS]] to be viewed by humans, however this seems more of an oversight than deliberate
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|[[Carvana]]
|Saying cars that have been in accidents have not; Lies about inspection and does not replace brake pads even when worn down. Non-refundable $1,500 shipping fee. See [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9yhOeTUEo4 Louis Rossmann's video]
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|[[Chuwi]]
|Misleading consumers by falsifying the specsheet of one of their latest laptops, and repeatedly threatened one of the online publications that wrote an article of their alleged misdeeds.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leitner |first=Simon |date=2026-03-12 |title=CPU fraud, next round: Chuwi CoreBook Plus with supposed AMD Ryzen 5 7430U also affected |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/CPU-fraud-next-round-Chuwi-CoreBook-Plus-with-supposed-AMD-Ryzen-5-7430U-also-affected.1248660.0.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/N7UmU |archive-date=2026-03-12 |access-date=2026-03-12 |website=Notebookcheck}}</ref>
|-
|[[Cloudary Holdings Limited / Webnovel]]
|Terms of service with binding Arbitration.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Webnovel ToS |url=https://www.webnovel.com/terms_of_service |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260101204816/https://www.webnovel.com/terms_of_service |archive-date=1 Jan 2026}}</ref>
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|[[Devolo]]
|Devolo switches off servers and removes their app from stores for their "Home Control" system, thus severely reducing the functionality of their devices (apparently Z-Wave-based).
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=IT-News für Profis |url=https://www.golem.de/news/weiterbetrieb-verursacht-weitere-kosten-devolo-macht-smart-home-system-zum-grossteil-unbrauchbar-2508-199409.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251210052941/https://www.golem.de/news/weiterbetrieb-verursacht-weitere-kosten-devolo-macht-smart-home-system-zum-grossteil-unbrauchbar-2508-199409.html |archive-date=10 Dec 2025|website=Golem |language=de}}</ref>
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|[[DeviantArt]]
|DeviantArt launched in 2000 and quickly became a household name among digital artists. [https://www.wix.com/press-room/home/post/wix-acquires-deviantart-pairing-wix-capabilities-with-global-creative-community But in 2017 WiX] bought the website and in 2022 had made all art on it's site liable to be training data by default. They then back peddled and then set all art to noai by default. Now they are moving basic functions to be behind their paywall. [https://www.deviantart.com/razorstargazer/journal/Deviantart-is-the-worst-website-ever-created-1309667089 Ones that were free.]
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The AI Controversy on DeviantArt: How a Creative Paradise Became a Battleground |url=https://expertbeacon.com/the-ai-controversy-on-deviantart-how-a-creative-paradise-became-a-battleground/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wix Acquires DeviantArt, Pairing Wix Capabilities with Global Creative Community |url=https://www.wix.com/press-room/home/post/wix-acquires-deviantart-pairing-wix-capabilities-with-global-creative-community |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|DotPe cyber-sec negligence
|In 2024, an Indian company that provides digital services to food-chains got trivially hacked/cracked, allowing anyone to get customer data and company revenue-stats across many countries
|<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240923081639/https://peabee.substack.com/p/whats-inside-the-qr-code-menu-at</ref>
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|[[Digital Europe]] (lobby organization consisting of [[Microsoft]], [[Google]], [[Amazon]], and [[Meta]])
|Group lobbied to keep datacenter emissions secret from consumers via confidentiality clause that was adopted almost verbatim by the Eurpean Comission, intentionally keeping consumers in the dark about the environmental impact of the products they use.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/17/microsoft-us-tech-firms-lobbied-eu-secrecy-rules-datacentre-emissions}}</ref>
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|[[E621]]
|Terms of service that require agreement to forced arbitration to use the website.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-02 |title=E621 |url=https://e621.net/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128164339/https://e621.net/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2026|website=E621}}</ref>
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|[[EcoVac]]
|Vacuum cleaner robots produced by company 'EcoVac' were found vulnerable to hacking over bluetooth allowing for remote control and access to camera feed. Security researcher Dennis Giese notified the company in December of 2023. In August of 2024, the issue was described by the company as "extremely rare in typical user environments and require specialized hacking tools and physical access to the device."
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fell |first=Julian |date=2024-10-04 |title=We hacked a robot vacuum — and could watch live through its camera - ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-04/robot-vacuum-hacked-photos-camera-audio/104414020 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251128025250/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-04/robot-vacuum-hacked-photos-camera-audio/104414020 |archive-date=28 Nov 2025|access-date=2025-09-10 |website=ABC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Franceschi-Bicchierai |first=Lorenzo |date=2024-08-09 |title=Ecovacs home robots can be hacked to spy on their owners, researchers say {{!}} TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/09/ecovacs-home-robots-can-be-hacked-to-spy-on-their-owners-researchers-say/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222212044/https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/09/ecovacs-home-robots-can-be-hacked-to-spy-on-their-owners-researchers-say/ |archive-date=2026-02-22 |access-date=10 Aug 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Franceschi-Bicchierai |first=Lorenzo |date=2024-08-15 |title=Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai on X: "Finally, Ecovacs responds to the researchers' findings, saying it won't fix the bugs. |url=https://x.com/lorenzofb/status/1823774980460388675 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241108194816/https://x.com/lorenzofb/status/1823774980460388675 |archive-date=8 Nov 2024}}</ref>
|-
|[[Elegoo Centauri Carbon|Elegoo]]
|The Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3d printer has been proven to use open source Klipper software which requires them to publish their changes to the code.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-28 |title=PSA: Elegoo Centauri Carbon & GPL Compliance |url=https://freethecode.lol/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251206142736/https://freethecode.lol/ |archive-date=6 Dec 2025|access-date=2025-08-28 |website=PSA: Elegoo Centauri Carbon & GPL Compliance}}</ref>
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|[[Ericcson]]
|Data Breach March 2026
|
|-
|[[FBI]]
|FBI buys location data of US citizens
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=FBI is buying location data to track US citizens, director confirms |url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/18/fbi-is-buying-location-data-to-track-us-citizens-kash-patel-wyden/ |url-status=live |website=[[TechCrunch]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Foxconn]]
|Foxconn is an electronics manufacturer with various human rights violations on it's record. They've also convinced the government to use eminent domain to take people's property to build factories, that never end up using the factories.
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|[[Foxit Reader]]
|Updater uses dark pattern to trick unsuspecting users into installing a trial version of their paid product. The checkbox is enabled again by default with each update in the hope that the user misses it by accident at some point.
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|[[Gaggia]]
|Between 2015 to 2019, the redesigned Gaggia Classic removed the traditional three-way solenoid valve. The valve was restored in the 2019 Gaggia Classic Pro after criticism and backlash from the espresso enthusiast community.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Waddell |first=Kelsey |date=2023-03-23 |title=Gaggia Classic vs Pro: A Closer Look at the Differences |url=https://www.roastycoffee.com/gaggia-classic-vs-pro/ |website=Roasty Coffee}}</ref>
|-
|[[General Motors|GM]]
|GM originally released the EV1 in 1996 on a lease program, and then instead of selling the much loved used/leased vehicles to consumers, they decided to crush the grand majority of them. Very few surviving examples can be found today, with most in private collections or at universities.
Because it was seen as a failure to major auto manufacturers, It would take over a decade before another EV was produced in the United States.
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|Google TLS Changes
|Google's new requirements to certificate authorities require separate authority/signing chains to be used to issue Server Authentication and Client Authentication certificates. Therefore, starting 11 February 2026, Let's Encrypt will no longer include the Client Authentication EKU on default certificates
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|[[Google]] ([[Android]])
|Google apparently plans to reduce the interval of publishing source code of security patches they consider non-critical. This is another blow to the custom ROM community.
Right now we don't have these incidents organised chronologically, maybe we should have a table with a timeline of measures Google takes to enshittify and close down Android (more APIs moved to Play Services, Developer verification, withholding AOSP device trees for Pixel devices to mess with [[GrapheneOS]], now delayed source code disclosure). What's worst, they always cite safety as a reason.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exclusive: Google wants to make Android phones safer by switching to ‘risk-based’ security updates |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/android-risk-based-security-updates-3597466/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107025310/https://www.androidauthority.com/android-risk-based-security-updates-3597466/ |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |website=Android Authority}}</ref>
|-
|[[Google Maps]]
|Google restricts data visible in Google Maps for users who are not signed in with an account (see [[Forced account]]). Reviews and photos are no longer visible without login. This also forces users to agree to Google's TOS and logs them into all other Google services, such as YouTube or Google Search so that now all their data in those other services is associated with their accounts. This also raises concerns that other services such as YouTube might follow.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Feb 2026 |title=Google Maps now forces you to sign-in |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleMaps/comments/1r4iauf/google_maps_now_forces_you_to_signin/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032117/https://old.reddit.com/r/GoogleMaps/comments/1r4iauf/google_maps_now_forces_you_to_signin/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 Feb 2026 |title=Can't view images without logging in? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleMaps/comments/1r74v0f/cant_view_images_without_logging_in/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032213/https://old.reddit.com/r/GoogleMaps/comments/1r74v0f/cant_view_images_without_logging_in/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |website=Reddit}}</ref>
|-
|[[Google]], [[Mozilla]], [[Apple]], [[Microsoft]], but largely Google-led
|Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari are removing XSLT 1.0 support, which could break critical parts of government's websites worldwide<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dimant |first=Dimitrii "Mamut" |date=2025-08-10 |title=XSLT removal will break multiple government and regulatory sites across the world #11582 |url=https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11582 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260211221059/https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11582 |archive-date=11 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-10-25 |website=Github (specifically the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group's HTML standards repo, controlled by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft and Apple)}}</ref>. There are valid security reasons for them to want to stop supporting this 1999-era standard, however they have had 26+ years to update to a newer standard (such as the 2017-era 3.1 standard, which is backwards compatible and would allow these sites to continue to work<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-21 |title="XML Path Language (XPath) 3.1: W3C Recommendation 21 March 2017" |url=https://www.w3.org/TR/xpath-31/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260116015839/https://www.w3.org/TR/xpath-31/ |archive-date=16 Jan 2026|website=W3C}}</ref>). The single unpaid developer maintaining these libraries has more or less retired after getting flooded with impossible to satisfy security requests from these companies<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wellnhoffer |first=Nick |date=2025-05-08 |title=Triaging security issues reported by third parties |url=https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/issues/913 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260131231248/https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/issues/913 |archive-date=31 Jan 2026|access-date=2025-10-25 |website=gitlab.gnome.org}}</ref>. There is an existing project called XRUST to implement the 3.1 standard<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-09 |title=XRust: XPath, XQuery, and XSLT for Rust |url=https://gitlab.gnome.org/World/Rust/markup-rs/xrust |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260204085435/https://gitlab.gnome.org/World/Rust/markup-rs/xrust |archive-date=4 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-10-14 |website=gitlab.gnome.org}}</ref>, which is 2/3rds of the way through supporting all the features of 1.0 - the XSLT part fully supports all the 1.0 features at this point. XSLT is part of the W3C Consortium's open web standards for formatting and presenting XML, and is also how RSS works, so RSS feeds would stop working as well, disrupting the livelihoods of podcasters<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rijo |first=Luis |date=2025-08-20 |title=Google targets RSS feeds in new XSLT removal proposal |url=https://ppc.land/google-targets-rss-feeds-in-new-xslt-removal-proposal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222212228/https://ppc.land/google-targets-rss-feeds-in-new-xslt-removal-proposal/ |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-10-14 |website=PPC-Land}}</ref>. This has led to questions of who owns the web - the public (including the government) who paid for and laid down the highways / web infrastructure - or a handful of large corporations? <ref>{{Cite web |last=Branscombe |first=Mary |date=2025-09-01 |title=XSLT Debate Leads to Bigger Questions of Web Governance |url=https://thenewstack.io/xslt-debate-leads-to-bigger-questions-of-web-governance/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260131231310/https://thenewstack.io/xslt-debate-leads-to-bigger-questions-of-web-governance/ |archive-date=31 Jan 2026|access-date=2025-10-14 |website=The New Stack}}</ref>
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|[[Google Photos]]
|Google Makes it more difficult to manage photos within your google drive account through third party applications, including open source software running on linux.
This makes it incredibly frustrating to clear space in google drive if you've exceeded the space limits.
|<ref>https://github.com/gilesknap/gphotos-sync-discussion/discussions/1</ref>
|-
|[[GoPro]] Hero 12
|GoPro Hero 12 requires the GoPro app to be installed before you can use the camera. Many currently used devices are not compatible with the app, therefore making use of the camera difficult to impossible for new owners or upon camera factory reset. There's also the question of what data the app collects and whether it requires login and or camera activation.
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|-
|[[Honda]]
|moved the garage door opener from a button on the mirror to a [[Pay-walling|paywall]] [[subscription service]]
|<ref>https://reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/1sd54jo/replaced_my_honda_with_a_new_one_after_an/</ref>
|-
|[[Hyundai]] (BlueLink)
|Hyundai ads in-car advertisements for subscription services, while you're driving, after telling you not to look at the screen while driving.
The advertisement is a full page of text, that you can't either enable or disable while you're driving. Your only options are to (A) select later, to delay the ad for another driving session, or (2) Pull over and park your car so you can (C) enable the feature at $10/mo or (iii) dig through settings menus to figure out how to disable the message permanently (which will probably only be actually permanent until the battery in the car dies).
BlueLink appears to be marketing lingo for their cell-phone-linked remote start/stop, lock/unlock, and climate control features. The only feature that should actually need a cellular subscription appears to be stolen vehicle recovery.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Hank |date=2026-16-04 |title=Should I Sue Hyundai? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ1RUyOF2Rk |url-status=live |website=Youtube}}</ref> <ref>https://connected-mobility.hyundai.com/what-we-do/connected-car-services/bluelink</ref>
|-
|[[Internet radios]]
|I'd like a page where I can share information about internet radios "openness." Few allow you to enter a radio station's URL (which I would consider the least intrusive option). Most depend on third-party websites or apps; [https://www.sangean.com/uk/blog/149 some of which have already bricked devices].
|
|-
|[[itch.io]], [[Night School Studios]], [[Netflix]]
|In September 2024, users who purchased the game Oxenfree on itch.io were warned that the game was going to be pulled from the platform on October 1st. Consumers would not be able to download the installers after this date, so they would lose access unless they had them backed up. Users speculated that Netflix, the parent company of the development studio, had ordered the move; however, no response from Netflix or the developers was ever published. This is particularly notable because it is against itch.io's terms of service: "Users shall retain a license to this content even after the content is removed from the Service."
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=itch corp |date=15 Apr 2023 |title=itch.io Terms of Service |url=https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907004719/https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms |archive-date=7 Sep 2024 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=itch.io}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=ShawnS |date=31 Jan 2025 |title=OXENFREE |url=https://delistedgames.com/oxenfree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321070400/https://delistedgames.com/oxenfree/ |archive-date=21 Mar 2025 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=Delisted Games}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Colp |first=Tyler |date=9 Sep 2024 |title=Another reminder that your digital library isn't forever: Oxenfree will be completely removed from Itch.io next month |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/another-reminder-that-your-digital-library-isn-t-forever-oxenfree-will-be-completely-removed-from-itch-io-next-month/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523111125/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/another-reminder-that-your-digital-library-isn-t-forever-oxenfree-will-be-completely-removed-from-itch-io-next-month/ |archive-date=23 May 2025 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>
|-
|[[The Japan Times|Japan Times, The]]
|The Japan Times uses the DMCA to take down an open source study resource for the Genki and Quartet workbooks.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clydesdale |first=Seth |date=2025-09-11 |title=Important Information Regarding Genki and Quartet Study Resources |url=https://ko-fi.com/post/Important-Information-Regarding-Genki-and-Quartet-D1D21L4B1S |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251116072121/https://ko-fi.com/post/Important-Information-Regarding-Genki-and-Quartet-D1D21L4B1S |archive-date=16 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Update Regarding Genki and Quartet Study Resources DMCA Situation |url=https://ko-fi.com/post/Update-Regarding-Genki-and-Quartet-Study-Resources-Y8Y21M1F5E |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251115073152/https://ko-fi.com/post/Update-Regarding-Genki-and-Quartet-Study-Resources-Y8Y21M1F5E |archive-date=15 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-03 |title=All Exercises for Genki/Quartet Study Resources Have Been Removed |url=https://ko-fi.com/post/All-Exercises-for-GenkiQuartet-Study-Resources-Wi-R6R81M8LLN |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251113045244/https://ko-fi.com/post/All-Exercises-for-GenkiQuartet-Study-Resources-Wi-R6R81M8LLN |archive-date=13 Nov 2025}}</ref>
|-
|[[Kangaroo]]
|A home security camera company that locks local hardware features behind software subscriptions and paywalls that ultimately could work without external service. Access to local storage playback via the app is locked behind a paywall; see reviews. "cooldown" periods provide a risk to security as motion detection does not activate until after a fixed period of time on no-subscription plans with clips that only capture 12 seconds of recording, this was not always the case.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Delaney |first=John |date=2021-11-09 |title=Kangaroo Indoor + Outdoor Cam Review |url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/kangaroo-indoor-plus-outdoor-cam |url-status=live |archive-date=2024-08-11 |access-date=2026-04-01 |website=PCMag}}</ref><ref>https://www.bestbuy.com/product/kangaroo-indoor-outdoor-wired-1080p-security-camera-white/J3QLYYW64G/sku/6506997/reviews?pageSize=20</ref>
|-
|[[Klarna]]
|A German consumer rights association reports that payment provider Klarna requests access to users' bank accounts for payment purposes, but instead of just initiating transactions as the user expects, it also scans the complete list of transactions on the user's bank account for advertising purposes and also forwards that data to third parties. Klarna also faces criticism for encouraging debt by offering "buy now, pay later" schemes.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/apps/klarna-verbraucherschuetzer-kritisieren-konto-schnueffelei-bei-zahlungsdienstleister-a-de915cd3-997e-4b39-ad67-bb5d22969635}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.chip.de/news/Warnung-vor-KlarnaVebraucherschuetzer-sind-besorgt_185654845.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.computerbild.de/artikel/cb-News-Sicherheit-Verbraucherzentrale-warnt-Klarna-analysiert-Kontodaten-39229147.html}}</ref>
|-
|[[Kohls]]
|There is no option to delete your account on their website
|
|-
|[[KOSA]]
|KOSA claims to make kids safer, but it’s really a dangerous censorship bill that would give the U.S. government unprecedented control over the internet. This would put youth in danger by preventing them from accessing potentially life-saving resources.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fight for the Future |first= |date=2026-01-24 |title=Reject online censorship. Tell lawmakers to oppose KOSA! |url=https://www.stopkosa.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2026-01-24 |website=Stop KOSA}}</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20250228145348/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/Katy-ISD-blocks-LGBTQ-resources-suicide-16647274.php</ref>
|-
|[[LBRY]] Foundation, [[Odysee]]
|Community first decentralization & Odysee's plan to enable censorship by switching away from the opensource LBRY network.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The LBRY Foundation |url=https://lbry.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260211161516/https://lbry.org/ |archive-date=11 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-08-08 |quote=The LBRY community invites everyone to join us in building a more free and open way to share content and information online.}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Watson |first=RT |date=6 Jun 2024 |title=Decentralized YouTube alternative Odysee acquired by Forward Research despite content concerns |url=https://www.theblock.co/post/298888/decentralized-youtube-alternative-odysee-acquired-by-forward-research-despite-content-concerns |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251127094918/https://www.theblock.co/post/298888/decentralized-youtube-alternative-odysee-acquired-by-forward-research-despite-content-concerns |archive-date=27 Nov 2025|access-date=16 Aug 2025 |work=The Block}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Li |first=Jun |last2=Grintsvayg |first2=Alex |last3=Kauffman |first3=Jeremy |last4=Fleming |first4=Charles |date=2020 |title=LBRY: A Blockchain-Based Decentralized Digital Content Marketplace |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9126007 |url-status=live |journal=2020 IEEE International Conference on Decentralized Applications and Infrastructures (DAPPS) |location=Oxford, UK |publisher=IEEE |doi=10.1109/DAPPS49028.2020.00005 |isbn=978-1-7281-6978-1 |url-access=registration |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250825221749/https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9126007/ |archive-date=25 Aug 2025 |via=IEEE Xplore}}</ref>
|-
|[[LexisNexis]]
|Data breach March 2026
|
|-
|[[LG]]
|LG discontinued its LG Bluetooth Remote app (including plugins such as "btc4") making it non-public on the Play Store and making Bluetooth controllable devices (like for example the CM2630B) half as useful, without even publishing neither the protocol used to control such devices nor the source code of the app.
|
|-
|Linkedin
|LinkedIn has been caught running a massive, silent operation that scans the local computers of its visitors. Every time a user visits <code>linkedin.com</code> using a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave), a hidden JavaScript program executes to check for the presence of over '''6,000 specific browser extensions.'''
|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHj6IvBmlpU
https://browsergate.eu/
|-
|[[Lowe's]]
|Lowe's uses flock cameras and other AI powered cameras to collect data and build a profile on "prospective, current, or former Lowe's customers". Their cameras point away from their stores.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=6 Aug 2025 |title=Home Depot and Lowe's Share Data From Hundreds of AI Cameras With Cops |url=https://www.404media.co/home-depot-and-lowes-share-data-from-hundreds-of-ai-cameras-with-cops/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260216173226/https://www.404media.co/home-depot-and-lowes-share-data-from-hundreds-of-ai-cameras-with-cops/ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026|access-date=15 Sep 2025 |website=404 Media}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=26 Aug 2025 |title=Lowe’s U.S. Privacy Statement |url=https://www.lowes.com/l/about/privacy-and-security-statement |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251228013530/https://www.lowes.com/l/about/privacy-and-security-statement |archive-date=28 Dec 2025|access-date=15 Sep 2025 |website=Lowe's}}</ref>
|-
|[[Marquis]]
|Data Breach March 2026
|
|-
|[[Meta]] and [[YouTube]]
|In a recent trial Meta and Google were found liable for making there social media platforms addictive and harmful
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial |url=https://www.npr.org/2026/03/25/nx-s1-5746125/meta-youtube-social-media-trial-verdict |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Campaigners welcome Meta and YouTube's defeat in landmark social media addiction trial |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c747x7gz249o |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Meta and YouTube Found Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/technology/social-media-trial-verdict.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Microsoft]]
|Microsoft's Android keyboard app SwiftKey set to make it impossible to backup user data without a Microsoft Account, backups must be stored in Microsoft cloud
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=18 Mar 2026 |title=SwiftKey will soon require a Microsoft account to save your typing info. |url=https://www.theverge.com/tech/896859/swiftkey-will-soon-require-a-microsoft-account-to-save-your-typing-info}}</ref>
|-
|[[Microsoft]]
|Locked the developers of Windscribe, Veracrypt, and, Wireguard out of their accounts
|
|-
|[[Microsoft]] Rewards
|Used to be a good program, but over the last few years they've implemented a number of anti-user policies including extensive cool-downs for earning points on Bing, and making it more difficult to redeem points. There are multiple reports on r/microsoftrewards of people getting banned or restricted when they have over $100 worth of points that they are trying to redeem. They've also removed points opportunities that used to be interesting and engaging.
|
|-
|[[Minut]]
|Minute sells sensors and alarms. They released an alarm (Point) on kickstarter that long after release got a firmware update adding forced subscription if more than one person wanted to use the alarm.
|<ref>https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/minut/pointthe-friendly-home-alarm</ref>
<ref>https://www.minut.com/</ref>
|-
|[https://www.mobvoi.com/us Mobvoi/Ticwatch]
|Written with partially help of AI
Mobvoi has gained a reputation for a "launch and forget" pattern, where devices are marketed with the promise of future software updates that often arrive years late or are cancelled entirely. This pattern—most notable in the two-year delay of the Wear OS 3 update—frequently leaves consumers with hardware that lacks core advertised features, such as Google Assistant. Additionally, the company faces criticism for restrictive warranty policies and a difficult return process that often places the financial burden of shipping and replacement on the user. Once the app was abandoned subscription was still available for purchases but was unusable
|https://9to5google.com/2025/12/05/mobvoi-ticwatch-wear-os-dead/
https://www.androidcentral.com/wearables/mobvoi-explains-wear-os-3-holdup
https://www.pcmag.com/news/another-wear-os-smartwatch-maker-appears-to-have-given-up
https://www.xda-developers.com/mobvoi-lying-ticwatch-hardware/
|-
|Multiple
|Several legal cases involving forced arbitration in some manner; many of these relate to other anticonsumer practices, such as when Wells Fargo illegally opened up ~3.5M fake checking and credit accounts in customers' names. Highly advised to deeply scrub for supplementary sources.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=Apr 16, 2019 |title=Fact Sheet: Cases Tossed Out of Court Because of Forced Arbitration Causes and Class Action Bans |url=https://www.centerjd.org/content/fact-sheet-cases-tossed-out-court-because-forced-arbitration-causes-and-class-action-bans#_ftn1 |access-date=Feb 12, 2026 |website=Center for Justice & Democracy at New York Law School |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251013145327/https://centerjd.org/content/fact-sheet-cases-tossed-out-court-because-forced-arbitration-causes-and-class-action-bans |archive-date=13 Oct 2025}}</ref>
|-
|[[MuseGroup]] (MuseSounds)
|Releasing more and more subscription sound packs while previously released one-time purchase sound packs are full of bugs/issues and have gone without updates for sometimes over a year. They have also increased the price of one-time purchase packs by about 500% while still providing no additional or improved functionality.
They also added unsolicited popups advertising their paid sound packs at startup of the open source MuseScore application, as well as buttons and commands for their cloud service to the home screen, which cannot be disabled. They previously ran into controversy when changing the privacy policy of Audacity and tried to add tracking. The closed-source MuseHub application (which is required to download the free sound packs) connects to tracking services with neither a real opt-in nor an opt-out option. Newer versions of MuseHub now seem to [[Forced account|require an account]] to download free sound packs and sound effects, which previously was not the case. Muse Hub starts at every system launch by default and stays active in the background despite this not being required for its functionality. They also added proprietary parts to MuseScore (like the MuseSample), which is kept closed source. They also bought StaffPad and seem to have quietly ceased its development without publishing any statements.
|
|-
|[[NationStates]]
|Data Breach March 2026
|
|-
|[[Navdy]], [[Harman International]]
|Device discontinued and no updates, device can be used offline for 1 year until it stops working.
https://www.reddit.com/r/navdy/
|
|-
|[[Navia]]
|Data Breach March 2026
|
|-
|[[Netgear]] (internet networking equipment)
|Almost every Netgear internet router requires the creation of a new account to function as a router (see [[Forced account]]), where the TOS includes an agreement to binding arbitration. Most if not all devices are locked into proprietary firmware with no option to change. Some automatic updates have reportedly cause loss of performance with option to revert to a previous version, "bricking" the device in some cases.
Engages in anti-consumer practices, requiring a subscription for basic WiFi-router features such as parental controls. According to a blogpost by a senior employee, grew from "45% in 2016 to over 60% in 2019" of the US consumer router market. In 2025, Netgear is "being sued by TP-Link for a 'Smear Campaign' to Advance US Router Ban [of it's competitor TP-Link].
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=NETGEAR Terms and Conditions |url=https://www.netgear.com/about/terms-and-conditions/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What subscription plans are available for NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls? |url=https://kb.netgear.com/000062104/What-subscription-plans-are-available-for-NETGEAR-Smart-Parental-Controls |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Abhay Bhorkar |url=https://www.netgear.com/hub/author/abhorkar/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=TP-Link Accuses Netgear of 'Smear Campaign' to Advance US Router Ban |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/tp-link-accuses-netgear-of-smear-campaign-to-advance-us-router-ban?test_uuid=04IpBmWGZleS0I0J3epvMrC&test_variant=B |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[https://www.nexigroup.com/ Nexi S.p.A.]
|Nexi is a payment services provider based in Italy, which has been used by the [https://fsfe.org/ Free Software Foundation Europe] (FSFE) for ~ 15 years. They have allegedly been asking FSFE for personal information of FSFE executives and supporters and have recently cancelled their contract with FSFE.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-03-16 |title=450 FSFE supporters affected: Payment provider Nexi cancelled us |url=https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260316-01.en.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260317162959/https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260316-01.en.html |archive-date=2026-03-17 |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=FSFE - Free Software Foundation Europe}}</ref>
|-
|[[Odido]] Netherlands B.V.
|Odido is an internet service provider in the Netherlands with a 10-15% market share [[https://www.acm.nl/nl/publicaties/acm-telecommonitor-derde-kwartaal-2025 79]]. On the 3rd of March 2026 a user reported that his Odido Zyxel EX5601-T1 router was (illegally) sending analytics data to a Turkish AI-company [[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/odido-router-verzamelt-analytics-van-je-huishouden-sipke-mellema-0uoie/ 80]]. The user reported on the 8th of March 2026 that the router silently stopped sending this data with no formal mention/patch from Odido. The user reported on the poor security of the router and that the analytics data contained the unencrypted names of local networks, the names of devices connected to these networks, and MAC-addresses. The poor security of Odido's routers follows a massive data leak of 6.2 million customers' full legal names, phone numbers, emails, bank account numbers, passport numbers and more [[https://tweakers.net/nieuws/244656/odido-waarschuwt-voor-datalek-miljoenen-klantgegevens-gestolen-bij-cyberaanval.html 81]].
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=ACM Telecommonitor derde kwartaal 2025 |url=https://www.acm.nl/nl/publicaties/acm-telecommonitor-derde-kwartaal-2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Odido-router verzamelt analytics van je huishouden |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/odido-router-verzamelt-analytics-van-je-huishouden-sipke-mellema-0uoie/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Odido waarschuwt voor datalek: miljoenen klantgegevens gestolen bij cyberaanval |url=https://tweakers.net/nieuws/244656/odido-waarschuwt-voor-datalek-miljoenen-klantgegevens-gestolen-bij-cyberaanval.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[OICA]] (European automotive lobby organisation)
|The OICA recently pushed for the right to emit sounds from quiet electric cars to make them as loud as conventional cars with combustion engine and against stricter noise regulation in cities. The fake engine noises in question are specifically not for safety purposes, but for emotional effect for the driver. However, instead of playing the noises only inside for just the driver to hear, the noise is to be played on speakers on the exterior, thus affecting the general public. Noise pollution has long been known to have adverse health effects. ''[NOTE: Similar to environmental aspects, greenwashing etc., we will have to find a good angle for how this fits the wiki. I would say it does match the general theme of manufacturers deliberately making their products worse for minor financial gain and lobbies pushing against things that are in public interest.]''
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krempl |first=Stefan |date=2026-01-07 |title=Sound Dictatorship vs. Quiet: The Battle for E-Car Roar |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Sound-Dictatorship-vs-Quiet-The-Battle-for-E-Car-Roar-11133630.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260108165124/https://www.heise.de/en/news/Sound-Dictatorship-vs-Quiet-The-Battle-for-E-Car-Roar-11133630.html |archive-date=8 Jan 2026|access-date=2026-01-08 |website=Heise Online}}</ref>
|-
|Pearl Abyss
|Crimson Desert engaged in hardware gatekeeping by purposely locking out support for Intel GPUs. Their response when people asked what was going on was, “Get a refund.” They failed to mention in their hardware requirements that Intel GPUs were not supported. Intel also reached out to Pearl Abyss over the course of Crimson Desert’s development to offer support but was ignored. Pearl Abyss has now backpedaled after public backlash and says they will offer Intel GPU support.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Intel suggests it was snubbed by Crimson Desert dev after reaching out "many times" about Arc GPUs – company says it provided "early hardware, drivers, and engineering resources" to studio |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/intel-suggests-it-was-snubbed-by-crimson-desert-dev-after-reaching-out-many-times-about-arc-gpus-company-says-it-provided-early-hardware-drivers-and-engineering-resources-to-studio |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crimson Desert blocks Intel ARC GPUs from playing, studio asks owners to refund |url=https://www.neowin.net/news/crimson-desert-blocks-intel-arc-gpus-from-playing-studio-asks-owners-to-refund/#:~:text=Users%20on%20Reddit%20who%20discovered,resolution%20for%20Intel%20ARC%20owners. |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crimson Desert doesn't support Intel Arc GPUs on PC, it may never, and the devs say get a refund if you have one — they didn't warn players until launch |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/crimson-desert-doesnt-support-intel-arc-gpus-it-may-never-and-the-devs-say-get-a-refund-if-you-have-one |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crimson Desert Doesn't Work on Intel GPUs, But Pearl Abyss Is Working On It |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/crimson-desert-doesnt-work-on-intel-gpus-but-pearl-abyss-is-working-on-it |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Regus]]
|A flexible office / workplace provider for freelancers, contractors, small businesses, etc.
This is specifically for their Virtual Office service. I am sure they apply these same predatory and deceptive tactics with the rest of their services as well.
Locks you into a contract for virtual services that they may terminate at any time. You can too only if you follow very specific and exaggerated terms. They will bill you for the entire agreement even with it terminated. You lose access to the services immediately upon termination but are forced to pay for the rest of the agreement. They are predatory with agreements and will not allow you to break them and will charge you for the entire thing regardless of what happens.
Forced arbitration. Force you to waive any right to class action lawsuits.
Contract comes with terms hidden in their "house rules" document, automatically opting the user into services they did not knowingly agree to, by default. These services are NOT included in the original contract in any way except through the referencing to other documents like the "Terms of Service" and "House Rules", not disclosed ahead of time. They clearly show a lower price and do not clearly show any of the additional services you unknowingly opt into.
They lead you into a low price to get the agreement signed. Once signed, you cannot escape or get out with their terms. You find out later that they've made you agree to additional services by default. They require YOU to jump through hoops to opt out of those services, and they bury the information to do it.
They have predatory auto-renewals for the contracts that are typically months to years long, with many being sold into higher 1 year+ contracts for "savings" and "discounts". These auto-renewals cannot be canceled without 3 MONTHS notice! If it renews, you are locked into another term which you will be forced to pay in full even if you terminate.
This is all for VIRTUAL office services that cost nothing to provide or remove.
A lot of deceptive patterns including, but not limited to: Comparison prevention, hidden costs, hidden subscription, obstruction.
|[https://serviceagreement.regus.com/TermsPDF/VirtualOffice/Global20250301.pdf Terms of Service]
[https://serviceagreement.regus.com/PreviewHouseRule.aspx?guidId=840179ed-c894-4e91-8ccc-3b882bcf4b38 House Rules]
[https://www.myregus.com/help#:~:text=you%20can%20give%20notice%20to%20terminate%20your%20agreement%20at%20anytime%20in%20your%20online%20account%20%2D%20but%20you%20will%20be%20charged%20until%20the%20end%20of%20your%20agreement%20term. Help Page - terminate anytime but pay everything]
|-
|[https://www.skystone.games/ Skystone Games]
|Boundary, a multiplayer online-only first-person shooter, got shut down just a year after its release by Skystone games, and its publishing rights relinquished, citing "ongoing delays and a lack of updates from the developer". Studio Surgical Scalpels (the developer) stated that the publisher decissions were "extremely sudden and unreasonable", and attempted to "regain the rights to boundary". The game has been offline for more than a year at the time of writing, and no refunds or communications to the userbase has been made by Skystone Games.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-19 |title=Boundary - End of service notice |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1364020/view/4209257868262605607?l=english |url-status=live |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Steam |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251021143111/https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1364020/view/4209257868262605607?l=english |archive-date=21 Oct 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-30 |title=Boundary Shut Down: Who's to Blame? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr8IhV1fovE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=Kr8IhV1fovE |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sony]], Sony Online Entertainment/[[Daybreak Game Company]]
|Selling off SOE to the investment firm Columbus Nova, all games published by SOE were delisted without prior notice to consumers or developers, and licenses were revoked as well.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=S |first=Shawn |date=Jun 10, 2016 |title=Akimi Village |url=https://delistedgames.com/akimi-village/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251127030103/https://delistedgames.com/akimi-village/ |archive-date=27 Nov 2025|website=Delisted Games}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Weber |first=Rachel |date=Feb 2, 2015 |title=SOE acquired, becomes Daybreak Game Company |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/soe-acquired-becomes-daybreak-game-company |work=GamesIndustry.biz |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260204235742/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/soe-acquired-becomes-daybreak-game-company |archive-date=4 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sony]]
|Sony implements surge pricing/discounts on a per-user basis on their playstation store by profiling users, similar to airlines, car rentals, and concert tickets... only the goods are digital only and downloadable rather than physical media. Critics are calling this Surveillance Pricing.
|<ref>https://youtu.be/t8yVc6Uarho?si=fJeCzxqmxgyB_tLq</ref>
|-
|[[Spectora]]
|Spectora is a home inspection software used by many home inspectors, a very important portion of the home buying process. Spectora has announced they intend to insert ads April 7th. The ads look like the home inspector (a independent entity) is recommending outside services. Spectora has also purchased other home inspection platform HomeGauge on April 4th. With Fixle being in the purchese which is the ad network they now own. There are also allegations (have not been proven) of sale of the inspection data (something that remains confidential with client controlling confidentiality) to insurance companies, and Home Lenders. Causing increased rates on historical inspection data even when those things could be a condition to close on the home.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forced Partnership |url=https://forum.nachi.org/t/forced-partnership/266387 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fixle by Spectora: Post-Inspection Tools for Home Buyers |url=https://www.spectora.com/fixle/?utm_campaign=41151531-2026%20Fixle%20Launch%20Campaign&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=411347418&utm_content=411347418&utm_source=hs_automation |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Spectora acquires HomeGauge |url=https://coverager.com/spectora-acquires-homegauge/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Starbucks]]
|Data Breach affecting employees March 2026
|
|-
|[[Superbox]]
|Android TV box manufacturer Superbox remotely locks consumers' devices if they were sold below the manufacturer's minimum specified prices and asks consumers to contact the retailer when they complain.
They are not the first to do something like this. [[Deye]] locked down inverters in the US that they suspected might be gray imports.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=You'll Own Nothing and Be Happy |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I5-rAyFQrk |website=YouTube |type=Video |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=5I5-rAyFQrk |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Symantec]]
|Product: Norton Internet Security.
This one might be tough to document, because it's been slowly going on for the past 15 years. Norton used to offer a great internet security package with a ton of good and useful services for a decent price. Unfortunately, slowly over the years, they've gone further and further down the rabbit hole of charging more money for fewer and fewer features, and then locking some of those features behind even more paywalls and micro-transactions.
|
|-
|[[Steam]] by Valve software
|As of 2026 games bought to work and made for Windows 7, are no longer accessible on Windows 7 OS - A system they were made to work on and sold for. Titles that might not even work on modern Windows instalments.
This is done by forcing updates before launching of any title.
If there was a patch it will always fail before finishing update process.
Thus if user is unwilling to move to next installment of supported the operating system for whatever reason, which is not valve's decision to make. User is locked out of his purchase.
|[https://disk.yandex.com/i/ZPOVZYq11i8nJQ][https://disk.yandex.com/i/pBkHSsIhU5KqmA][https://disk.yandex.com/i/-mGVJAJHSTX-5Q][https://disk.yandex.com/i/I-NVZmXmfBrBEQ]
|-
|[[Telus]]
|Data Breach March 2026
|
|-
|[[TriZetto]]
|Data Breach March 2026
|
|-
|[[Universal Audio]]
|Product: UAD (Volt) Audio Interfaces
Universal Audio (UAD) [[Forced account|requires users to create an account and sign in]] to their software to use their audio interfaces–this is a necessary step and without it the interfaces are unusable.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Official UAD setup guide for "Volt" audio interfaces |url=https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409233546644-How-to-set-up-your-Volt-Interface}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Review of Volt 876 audio interface by Julian Krause |url=https://youtu.be/CCnttwq9jMw?si=DcwA97e3pSfp5rlr&t=803}}</ref>
|-
|[[UP3]] By [[Jawbone]]
|Approximately 2011, Pioneering startup company from San Francisco, had revolutionary fitness trackers. In 2017 with no notice to customers they stole personal data and shut down app which in turn, bricked devices. Highly likely went bankrupt and sold to sister company to manipulate customer services and rights. Now owned by Aliph brands.
|
|-
|[[Vive]]
|In 2022, Vive discontinued the original Vive Facial Tracker module a year after the original release, then released an updated model with proprietary firmware that blocked use on other 3rd party VR headset, while only allowing the new model to work with their new locked-down headset. The 2021 version of the face tracker's long term support was seemingly cut overnight without any software updates since 2021.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vive Team |date=2022-08-07 |title=VIVE Focus 3 gets Facial Tracker, and Eye Tracker |url=https://blog.vive.com/us/vive-focus-3-gets-facial-tracker-and-eye-tracker/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250619155201/https://blog.vive.com/us/vive-focus-3-gets-facial-tracker-and-eye-tracker/ |archive-date=2025-06-19 |access-date=2025-09-21 |website=Vive Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=StateKi |date=2023-10-10 |title=Post by StatekTi on X |url=https://x.com/StatekTi/status/1733954156379963393 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DiYbF |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=X (Formerly Twitter)}}</ref>
|-
|Wheatstone Corporation
|Wheatstone Corporation are a manufacturer of professional broadcast equipment, mainly audio consoles and interfaces that utilise their proprietary Wheatnet audio over IP protocol.
Wheatstone restricts access to firmware updates, software configuration tools and software. You must open a support ticked in order for them to send you a download link to these software tools, they make it very difficult to access software required to make their hardware audio interfaces work, even stating they want proof of purchase (not just a licence key) before they will even give you the download link. Managing licences is also non-existent and you will need to contact support, and as such a fee is imposed.
|
|-
|White House
|The White House made a news app, but this app tracks your location every 4.5 minutes through third-party OneSignal
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deep Humor |date=2026-03-30 |title=Don't Download This App |url=https://youtu.be/d5OTwcRxaTw?si=REEdhGeYPelHGLEQ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tixon |first=Bernadette B. |date=2026-03-29 |title=White House App Found Tracking Users' Exact Location Every 4.5 Minutes via Third-Party Server |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/white-house-app-gps-tracking-controversy-1788974 |url-status=live |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=[[International Business Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Milden |first=Dashia |date=2026-03-30 |title=I Downloaded (and Deleted) the White House App So You Don't Have To. It's a Hot Mess |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/i-downloaded-and-deleted-the-white-house-app-so-you-dont-have-to-its-a-hot-mess/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=[[CNET]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-03-30 |title=White House app sparks concern over location tracking and privacy issues |url=https://www.tradingview.com/news/cointelegraph:565f766ef094b:0-white-house-app-sparks-concern-over-location-tracking-and-privacy-issues/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=[[TradingView]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[WHMCS]]
|Discontinuation of support and updates for WHMCS legacy “Owned” licenses, forcing users who want ongoing updates or technical support to switch to subscription licensing and pay recurring fees rather than continue with the original owned model. This change affects all holders of legacy owned licenses and alters the long-term terms under which those licenses were originally sold
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=WHMCS Knowledgebase |url=https://www.whmcs.com/members/index.php/knowledgebase/70/Support-and-Updates-Expiration.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251211021038/https://www.whmcs.com/members/index.php/knowledgebase/70/Support-and-Updates-Expiration.html |archive-date=11 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Important pricing changes to your WHMCS owned license Mailer |url=https://www.whmcs.com/members/mailings/?k=price21-emailo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260215233549/https://www.whmcs.com/members/mailings/?k=price21-emailo |archive-date=15 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Wireless Power Consortium]]
|After monopolizing wireless charging market Qi turned from an open standard into a proprietary.
Version 1.3 introduced "secure authentication between the transmitter and the receiver", i.e. in order to operate every charger must include an expensive proprietary chip licensed only to certified members. This results in increased development and manufacturing costs directly passed onto consumer. Version 2.2, unlike previous versions, "is available for WPC Members only".
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qi Certification Is Changing and We've Got You Covered |url=https://www.nxp.com/company/about-nxp/smarter-world-blog/BL-QI-CERTIFICATION-IS-CHANGING |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251104012700/https://www.nxp.com/company/about-nxp/smarter-world-blog/BL-QI-CERTIFICATION-IS-CHANGING |archive-date=4 Nov 2025|website=NXP Semiconductors}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Download the Qi Specifications |url=https://www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/knowledge-base/specifications/download-the-qi-specifications/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251104094044/https://www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/knowledge-base/specifications/download-the-qi-specifications/ |archive-date=4 Nov 2025|website=Wireless Power Consortium}}</ref>
|-
|[[Wizards of the Coast]]
|Wizards of the Coast (WotC) seems to be positioning itself to move away from publishing physical books that last forever in favor of pushing digital-only sales and micro-transactions of content and subscriptions. They attempted to amend the OGL (Open Game License) to include language that would require third party authors of D&D content to give up rights to their own content, so WotC can sell it to consumers without crediting the original authors.
Notably, as a direct response to these anti-consumer activities and policies, a select few of the third party publishers have instead decided to come out with their own systems that are not beholden to WotC's whims. A couple of examples include ''Draw Steel'' and ''Daggerheart''. An earlier conflict prompted Paizo to release their own version of the classic D20-based tabletop RPG, ''Pathfinder'', when WotC started releasing the fourth edition of it's rule-set.
|
|-
|[[Wolfgang Puck]]
|Some of the bread makers have anti repair screws in them to prevent people from repairing them themselves. Needs more citations.
|
|-
|[[World Orb]]
|World Network (Sam Altman/Open AI) scheme to collect biometric data on all people. Tied to cryptocurrency, AI schemes. Supposedly way for people to show they are human (run by the people who are trying to make a profit from AI).
|
|-
|[[Zhiyun]]
|Like competing products from [[DJI]], Zhiyun video gimbals require a Chinese smartphone app, internet access and an [[Forced account|account]] to activate on first use.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=ZHIYUN Tutorials |date=25 Jul 2023 |title=ZHIYUN CRANE 2S Activation Tutorial |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CjNp6pWNoQ |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=_CjNp6pWNoQ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |website=YouTube}}</ref>
|}

==List of themes not yet covered==
Consumer Rights Wiki is not an encyclopedia.

*Before proposing or making a theme article, see if you can find an article that covers the topic on wikipedia, or some other reference. If you can, just use a reference to that.
*Check the list of theme articles [[:Category:common terms]], to be sure there isn't already an article on the topic, or one closely related. Sometimes a theme may be covered by generalizing an existing article.

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Theme
!Summary of Theme
!Refs
|-
|Car manufacturers replacing physical controls by touch-screens
|This is increasingly common, and puts drivers at risk. Some corps pretend touchscreens are a "premium" or "modern" feature, but are typically cheaper for them
|
|-
|[[Content delivery network]] ([[CDN]])
|[[wikipedia:Content_delivery_network|WP]], see also [[Cloud (service)]]. While helpful, they can infer the browsing history of millions of users across sites. The bigger their monopoly, the more cross-site tracking power they have. Even GDPR has been against using CDNs in some situations. Examples of CDN: [[wikipedia:Amazon_CloudFront|CloudFront]] (see [[Amazon]] [[wikipedia:Amazon_Web_Services|AWS]]), [[Cloudflare]], [[Microsoft]] [[wikipedia:Microsoft_Azure|Azure]], [[wikipedia:Fastly|Fastly]], etc...
|
|}

==List of companies doing the right thing==
It would be helpful to include examples of companies doing the right thing, even if they aren't, strictly speaking, consumer products.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Company
!Good deed
!Refs
|-
|APSystems
|After requests from users, the company released a firmware update that adds a local API to their EZ-1M solar micro inverter, allowing it to remain fully usable if the company ends support for the device
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=APsystems EZHI Local API User Manual |url=https://global.apsystems.com/document/apsystems-ezhi-local-api-user-manual/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251107061040/https://global.apsystems.com/document/apsystems-ezhi-local-api-user-manual/ |archive-date=7 Nov 2025|website=global.apsystems.com}}</ref>
|-
|Concept2
|Readily provides parts and diagrams. Exists under a [https://www.concept2.com/about/perpetual-purpose-trust Perpetual Purpose Trust].
|
|-
|Core Devices (from creator of Pebble Smartwatches)
|Not strictly Core Devices, but when Pebble was sold to Fitbit, the servers remained online for some time, and the Pebble app was updated to allow the Rebble community project to take over some of the Pebble server-side functionality. All backers of the upcoming Pebble 2 series of watches were refunded in full, despite it being a crowd-funding campaign.
Following Google's acquisition of Fitbit and after many years, Google released much of the Pebble Smart Watch source code on github (excluding proprietary libraries). Core Devices and Rebble replaced the usage of the proprietary libraries with open source alternatives, and released new Android and iOS apps, not only supporting the new core devices, but bringing updated support to legacy Pebble devices.
|
|-
|Fairphone
|The new Fairphones (5th and 6th generation) are availible with stock android as well as e/os, which is a fork of lineage os and a european alternative cloud provider (murena) instead of google. This has many privacy features (app tracker blocker, tor network usage, and gps spoofing) availible in a few clicks. Also degoogle apps (microg, safetynet, ...) are preinstalled therefore it is w´possible to install everything also from playstore with an anonymous account. As e/os is a fork of lineage os and there is an official guide to flash the fairphone with e/os and is officially supported, flashing lineage os is very easy.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-24 |title=How to manually install Android on your Fairphone |url=https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/18896094650513-How-to-manually-install-Android-on-your-Fairphone |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fairphone (Gen. 6) with privacy first /e/OS |url=https://shop.fairphone.com/the-fairphone-gen-6-e-operating-system |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|Framework
|They have 10/10 repair score by iFixit site for most of their products. They also support right to repair themselves.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sustainability |url=https://frame.work/sustainability |url-status=live |website=[[Framework]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Frauenheim |first=Carsten |title=Framework Laptop 13 Repair |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Framework_Laptop |url-status=live |website=[[iFixit]]}}</ref>
|-
|Home Assistant
|Open-source smart home platform that provides local control, automation, and interoperability for a wide range of smart home devices. Provides support for many cloud devices after they're subject to [[discontinuation bricking]].
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Assistant |url=https://www.home-assistant.io/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260129222300/https://www.home-assistant.io/ |archive-date=2026-01-29 |access-date=2026-02-05}}</ref>
|-
|Noctua
|Extremely long support for old products and availability of upgrade kits
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=LMG Clips |date=19 Feb 2026 |title=The Last CPU Cooler You Will Ever Buy |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3g4-fb6u90 |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=D3g4-fb6u90 |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|Numatic International
|A UK based manufacture of commercial and consumer wet/dry floor cleaning products (vacuums, scrubbers, floor buffers) that provides a robust library of technical documents, parts breakdowns, data sheets and training for free on both new and existing products without the need to login, pay additional fees or be an approved repair facility.
|
|-
|Oral-B
|When installing the Android App, there is no login, and the user is asked for analytics tracking consent.
|
|-
|Orange Pi (Shenzhen Xunlong Software Co., Ltd.)
|Commitment to Open Source Hardware and Transparency. (written with help of AI)
Public Schematics, Open Documentation (extensive datasheets for the SoCs), Right to Repair Friendly by using standardized components and providing the "map" (schematics) to the board. Community-Centric: hey actively support the "maker" ecosystem by allowing third-party OS developers (like Armbian) easy access to the hardware information needed to keep older boards running for a decade or more.
|http://www.orangepi.org/index.html
http://www.orangepi.org/html/serviceAndSupport/index.html
|-
|Philips
|Added files for replacement parts to Printables so you can 3D print parts for your Philips products
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philips |url=https://www.printables.com/@Philips |url-status=live |website=Printables}}</ref>
|-
|ratgdo
|A garage door opener controller developed by Paul Wieland, allowing you to locally control it (namely Chamberlain openers that would otherwise require the MyQ app for smart home features).
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wieland |first=Paul |title=About - ratgdo |url=https://ratcloud.llc/pages/about |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251213022055/https://ratcloud.llc/pages/about |archive-date=2025-12-13 |access-date=2026-02-05}}</ref>
|-
|Reticulum
|Reticulum is an open-source, decentralized networking stack designed to communicate between practically any wireless device, even without internet. Its purpose is to provide fully anonymous end-to-end encrypted communication by default, especially in the age of government surveillance. The Reticulum network, protocol, and hardware are not tied any company in particular but were initially created by Github user 'markqvist'. Honorable mention to NomadNet, which is a network of nodes that serve webpages, similar to the internet, that communicate via Reticulum.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=markqvist |title=Reticulum Network |url=https://reticulum.network/ |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=Reticulum |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222180553/https://reticulum.network/ |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|RME Audio
|Audio equipment manufacturer that provides reliable, high-quality audio interfaces and equipment with driver and firmware support that spans 15+ years. Extensive documentation and support for both Mac, Windows, and USB Class-Compliant machines on all of their products across several OS generations ensures compatibility, transparency, and a dedication for keeping old hardware alive.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 Apr 2026 |title=RME |url=https://www.rme-usa.com/ |url-status=live |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |website=RME-usa.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=28 Apr 2026 |title=RME Downloads |url=https://www.rme-usa.com/downloads.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |website=RME-usa.com}}</ref>
|-
|stevesgames.co.uk
|Will never put ads or in-app purchases in their computer games and will make gamees available for free after securing the companys future.
|
|-
|Sweetwater Sound
|The largest US-focused audio and music retailer that offers one of the best customer support systems to customers. Provides near 24x7 support with each customer being designated to a dedicated "sales engineer" who becomes the primary point of contact, with support networks that have direct contact to product vendors. Also contributes to more than 600 non-profits across the US. Also keeps outdated or obsolete product pages online as references, acting as a sort of music product database for most audio vendors.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 Apr 2026 |title=Why Choose Sweetwater? |url=https://www.sweetwater.com/about/why-choose-sweetwater/ |url-status=live |access-date=30 Apr 2026 |website=Sweetwater.com}}</ref>
|-
|Tektronix
|Provided extensive product data on unsupported products to a museum, vintageTEK, and thus to tekwiki and the rest of the community.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lenihan |first=Thomas F. |date=2012-02-28 |title=Copyright Notice |url=https://vintagetek.org/copyright-notice/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250828004431/https://vintagetek.org/copyright-notice/ |archive-date=2025-08-28 |access-date=2025-10-18 |website=vintageTEK museum}}</ref>
|-
|Ulanzi
|The company offers a tutorial on how users can mix their own fog juice to use with Ulanzi mini fog machines from readily available low-cost ingredients, whereas competitors sell proprietary fog juice at extortionate prices, refuse to release the formula and refuse to honour the warranty if users use anything but the OEM brand with their machines.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tutorial {{!}} How to DIY Ulanzi FM01 Fog Machine Juice? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiq1B6-dcEM |type=Video}} ([https://preservetube.com/watch?v=qiq1B6-dcEM Archived])</ref>
|-
|ZSA
|This company produces programmable ergonomic keyboards. They have 10/10 repair score by iFixit site for one of their keyboards <ref>{{Cite web |title=ErgoDox EZ Keyboard Repairability Assessment |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/ErgoDox+EZ+Keyboard+Repairability+Assessment/125077}}</ref>. They also support right to repair themselves <ref>{{Cite web |title=Supporting the Right to Repair |url=https://blog.zsa.io/2105-right-to-repair/}}</ref>. They have their own web software to modify keyboard layout <ref>{{Cite web |title=Voyager default layout |url=https://configure.zsa.io/voyager/layouts/default/latest/2}}</ref>, but it's possible to download source code of your layout and compile and flash it yourself using their fork of the QMK <ref>{{Cite web |title=QMK, forked for ZSA's Oryx Configurator (to safeguard stability) |url=https://github.com/zsa/qmk_firmware/}}</ref>. The flashing can be done with standard tools, without any signing and bootloader unlocking.
|
|}

==See Also==

*[[Louis Rossmann - Video Directory]]
*[[Other Channels - Video Directory|Other Channels - Video Directory]]

==Reference List==
<references />

Template:Outdated/section

2026-05-12T19:52:31Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: Copied from Template:Outdated

Template:Incomplete

2026-05-12T19:47:03Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: That underline is so obnoxious I hate it so much

<noinclude>
== Usage ==
Simply add <code><nowiki>{{Incomplete}}</nowiki></code> at the top of an article. Up to four specific issues may be supplied as named parameters.
{{Incomplete|Issue 1=Sources are needed in section X|Issue 2=Formatting does not match the blueprint}}
=== Parameters ===
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* <code>nocat=yes</code> — suppress automatic categorisation.
* <code>clear=false</code> — don't insert a <code><nowiki>{{clear}}</nowiki></code> before the box.
=== Live preview ===
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2026-05-12T19:44:01Z

AnotherConsumerRightsPerson: I'm leaning towards destubbing, although expansion to this is a very good idea as well

{{CompanyCargo
|Description=Professional networking platform owned by Microsoft.
|Founded=2002
|Industry=Social Media
|Logo=LinkedIn.png
|ParentCompany=Microsoft
|Type=Subsidiary
|Website=https://linkedin.com/
}}
[[wikipedia:LinkedIn|'''LinkedIn''']] is a social-media platform for professional networking, founded in 2002.

==Summary==

*It has been known for its [[dark patterns]].

*Users register on LinkedIn with an email, which LinkedIn then scrapes their contacts list and uploads this information to LinkedIn.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a545600/what-people-can-see-on-your-profile#:~:text=Contact%20and%20personal%20information%20that%20you%E2%80%99ve%20provided%20in%20the%20Contact%20Info%20section%20of%20your%20profile%20is%20only%20visible%20to%20your%201st-degree%20connections What People Can See on Your Profile]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20251205200135/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a545600/what-people-can-see-on-your-profile Archived] 2025-12-05</ref>

*LinkedIn also makes it difficult to cancel their free trial membership, likely targeting users that have forgotten or are unable to locate the cancel page.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a545578 Cancel LinkedIn Premium subscription] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260221041357/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a545578 Archived])</ref>

*LinkedIn has a habit of restricting accounts stating a need to verify identity, this disables the ability to navigate to the cancel membership page and can lead to being charged.

*LinkedIn's membership price has also quintupled from $10 per month in 2018 to $50 in 2024.

==Data Privacy==
LinkedIn automatically opts you into their program named "Data for Generative AI Improvement", or "GAI", which automatically says you agree to "Use my data for training content creation models."<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-collecting-data-generative-ai-improvement-brian-sykes-wyjme LinkedIn collecting ‘Data for Generative AI Improvement’] - linkedin.com ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240926163201/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-collecting-data-generative-ai-improvement-brian-sykes-wyjme/ Archived])</ref> This comes with fine print which states, "This setting controls the training of generative AI models used to create content. When this setting is on LinkedIn and its affiliates may use your personal data and content you create on LinkedIn for that purpose." 

This automatically gives LinkedIn the license to use your personal data and the content you create to train their models. Even if you opt out, the personal data and content the platform has already used will not be deleted.<ref name="linkedin-faq">[https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5538339 LinkedIn and generative AI (GAI) FAQs] - linkedin.com - 29 Jan 2025. [https://web.archive.org/web/20250124150439/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5538339 Archived] 24 Jan 2025.</ref>

As of 29 January 2025, LinkedIn FAQ mentions that it does <i>"not currently train content-generating AI models on data from members located in Canada, the EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, or Mainland China."</i><ref name="linkedin-faq" />

As of 19 September 2025, LinkedIn banner announcement was sent to logged in users saying ''"Update to our terms and data use"'' ''"Starting November 3, 2025, we'll use some of your Linkedln data to improve the content-generating AI that enhances your experience, unless you opt out in your [https://www.linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/settings/data-for-ai-improvement/ settings]. We're also updating our terms. See what's new and how to manage your data. [https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228/ Learn more] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251122030430/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228 Archived])"''. Specifically mentioned regions are Canada, the EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Announcement described how previously excluded regions would now be included in the "Data for Generative AI Improvement".[[File:LinkedIn - Update to our Terms and data use 2025.png|thumb|411x411px|Screenshot of [https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228/ Terms of service update] at 19th Sep 2025]]
===Account Verification===

Verifying a LinkedIn account (i.e. acquiring a blue checkmark) requires sending a full copy of the user's passport to a third party service provider, [[Persona]]. Biometric data of several kinds such as typing patterns are also collected by Persona. The company then retains the right to store the information, share it with third party data brokers and train AI on the passport and the passport photo. <ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=2026-02-16 |title=I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over. |url=https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405141228/https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=TheLocalStack}}</ref>

For users outside the United States, this also means that their personal and biometric data is sent to US servers, where they are accessible to US authorities.

==Account Deletion==
Some users have reported that the browser LinkedIn version disables the "Done" button at the end of the "Delete your account" flow.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why won’t LinkedIn let you delete your account? It's like they've disabled the close account button. |url=https://www.quora.com/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0406-0148-57/https://www.quora.com:443/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |website=Quora}}</ref> They had to modify source HTML via Source Inspector to close their account.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=LinkedIn Account Deletion button disabled |url=https://youtu.be/497YdWlDsAw |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=497YdWlDsAw |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |access-date=2 Apr 2026 |website=Youtube}}</ref> Users that reported this error also reported that it exists since 2022, and it hasn't been fixed since then.

Potential solutions:

#Modifying HTML, removing the "disabled" attribute from the button.
#Some users reported that typing their password by hand helped make the button work. Others have appealed that it didn't work anyways.<ref name=":0" />
#Some users reported that using the phone app to close your account worked, even if you created yours through the browser version.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 May 2024 |title=Impossible to close Linkedin account |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/linkedin/comments/1d0a4ah/impossible_to_close_linkedin_account/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220223136/https://old.reddit.com/r/linkedin/comments/1d0a4ah/impossible_to_close_linkedin_account/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

==Browser scanning and personal data mining==
Fairlinked e.V. have discovered data mining operation from within your browser when visiting LinkedIn. [https://browsergate.eu/ BrowserGate] exposes Microsoft's LinkedIn for allegedly conducting a massive, undisclosed spying operation by injecting malicious [[JavaScript]] into users' browsers to secretly scan and detect over 6,222 installed browser extensions without consent, in violation of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). It reveals how LinkedIn builds detailed individual and organizational profiles based on extensions indicating sensitive information such as political opinions, religious beliefs, disabilities, neurodivergence, job-seeking status, and even mapping which organizations use which competitor products, then aggregates this data while matching it to users' names, employers, and job titles.<ref>{{Cite web |author=digital fairness e.V. |title=LinkedIn Is Illegally Searching Your Computer |url=https://browsergate.eu/ |website=Browsergate.eu |date=6 Mar 2026 |access-date=13 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/FlBoq |archive-date=2 Apr 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fadilpašić |first=Sead |title=One of the largest corporate espionage and data breach scandals in digital history': New "BrowserGate" report claims LinkedIn secretly scans user browsers for installed extensions and collects device data |url=https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/one-of-the-largest-corporate-espionage-and-data-breach-scandals-in-digital-history-new-browsergate-report-claims-linkedin-secretly-scans-user-browsers-for-installed-extensions-and-collects-device-data |website=Techradar |date=6 Apr 2026 |access-date=13 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260406163425/https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/one-of-the-largest-corporate-espionage-and-data-breach-scandals-in-digital-history-new-browsergate-report-claims-linkedin-secretly-scans-user-browsers-for-installed-extensions-and-collects-device-data |archive-date=6 Apr 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Lawrence |title=LinkedIn secretly scans for 6,000+ Chrome extensions, collects data |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/linkedin-secretly-scans-for-6-000-plus-chrome-extensions-collects-data/ |website=Bleeping Computer |date=3 Apr 2026 |access-date=13 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405000141/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/linkedin-secretly-scans-for-6-000-plus-chrome-extensions-collects-data/ |archive-date=5 Apr 2026}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:LinkedIn Corporation]]