Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

3D Printing restrictions and bans

2026-02-25T17:58:34Z

NitezInHyperspace: Added Colorado to the list of states with proposed bills.

3D Printing Restrictions and Bans is a practice in which businesses, platforms, or governments impose legal, technical, or policy-based limitations on how consumer 3D printers may be used. These restrictions can affect the ability to modify, repair, or continue using hardware that consumers legally own. They are commonly implemented through legislation, firmware or software controls, licensing terms, or manufacturer support policies.

==How it works==

Restrictions on consumer 3D printing can be implemented in several ways:

*'''Legislative restrictions''' – Laws or proposed bills may restrict ownership, modification, or use of 3D printers based on perceived risks, such as the production of prohibited items.
*'''Firmware and software locks''' – Manufacturers may restrict printer functionality through signed firmware, mandatory cloud connections, or software validation checks.
*'''Platform or service dependency''' – Printers may rely on proprietary slicers, cloud services, or online authorization systems to remain functional.
*'''Content filtering and model blocking''' – Software may scan, flag, or block certain model files or printing instructions.
*'''Support withdrawal''' – Manufacturers may declare devices “unsupported,” potentially disabling functionality through software updates or server shutdowns.

These mechanisms can operate independently or in combination.

==Why it is a problem==

These restrictions raise several consumer rights concerns:

*'''Right to repair''' – Hardware or software locks may make it illegal, impractical, or technically impossible for owners to repair, modify, or maintain printers they legally own.
*'''Loss of functionality''' – Printers may become partially or fully inoperable if a manufacturer discontinues support, shuts down services, or enforces new restrictions.
*'''Forced obsolescence''' – Devices may stop working due to policy or software changes rather than hardware failure.
*'''Overbroad regulation''' – Laws intended to address specific risks may unintentionally affect lawful uses such as education, research, prototyping, art, or hobbyist projects.
*'''Precedent for other industries''' – Similar restrictions could expand to copyright- or patent-protected replacement parts, such as automotive, appliance, or industrial components.
*'''Ownership versus licensing''' – Consumers may effectively be treated as licensees rather than owners of their hardware and software.

==Examples==

===Legislative and regulatory examples===

*Washington State Legislature: HB 2321 (2025) – Proposed legislation addressing 3D printing technology that may unintentionally restrict lawful consumer ownership, modification, or use of consumer 3D printers.

*Washington State Legislature: HB 2320 (2025) – Related proposed legislation addressing risks associated with 3D printing technology, which has raised concerns about potential impacts on lawful consumer use and operation of consumer 3D printers.

*New York State Senate: Assembly Bill A2228 (2025) – Proposed legislation addressing the regulation of 3D printed items, raising concerns that enforcement mechanisms could indirectly affect consumer access to, or use of, 3D printing equipment.

*Manhattan District Attorney Office: Letter regarding 3D printer policies (2025) – Public correspondence outlining concerns related to consumer 3D printers that has been cited in discussions about potential technical or policy restrictions affecting lawful consumer activity.
*California State Legislature: AB-2047 (2026) – Proposed legislation that would require a certified firearm blueprint detection algorithm in all 3D printers and make it a crime to knowingly disable, deactivate, uninstall, or otherwise circumvent any firearm blocking technology installed in a 3D printer.
*Colorado General Assembly. HB26-1144 (2026) – Proposed legislation would ban manufacturing or producing a firearm, receiver, frame, large capacity magazine, or rapid fire device using 3d printing. Possessing or distributing computer code to manufacture a firearm or firearm component on a 3d printer or CNC mill would be prohibited. Violating any of the prohibitions would be a class 1 misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent violation would be a class 5 felony.

===Manufacturer and platform policies===

*Print&Go Tech – Company promoting technical solutions intended to prevent the printing of certain prohibited items, referenced in discussions about content filtering, software enforcement mechanisms, and their potential impact on consumer control and repairability.

===Companies enforcing restrictive policies===
''This list is intentionally left blank pending verified, neutral sourcing.''

*

===Companies not enforcing restrictive policies===
''This list is intentionally left blank pending verified, neutral sourcing.''

*

==References==

*[https://manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Letter-Creality-3.26.25.pdf Manhattan District Attorney Office. ''Letter regarding 3D printer policies'', March 26, 2025.]

*[https://printandgo.tech/blog/3d-gunt-solution-to-prevent-3d-printed-ghost-guns Print and Go Tech. ''3D gun prevention solutions and policy discussion''.]

*[https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/02/08/washington-dems-advance-bill-that-could-ban-3d-printers-over-gun-fears-n1231483 Bearing Arms. ''Washington Democrats advance bill related to 3D printers''.]

*[https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2321&Year=2025 Washington State Legislature. ''Bill Summary: HB 2321 (2025)''.]

*[https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?Year=2025&BillNumber=2320 Washington State Legislature. ''Bill Summary: HB 2320 (2025)''.]

*[https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2228 New York State Senate. ''Assepmbly Bill A2228 (2025)''.]
*[https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2047 California State Legislature. Bill Text: AB 2047 (2025-2026) Firearms: 3-dimensional printing blocking technology]
*[https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1144 Colorado General Assembly. HB26-1144, Prohibit Three-Dimensional Printing Firearms & Components]

[[Category:Common terms]]

Article suggestions

2026-02-25T17:46:58Z

NitezInHyperspace: Another company trying to force age verification....

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 ''''ctrl + shift + k'''<nowiki/>' 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]] for a good collection 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==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[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.
|-
|Affinity / Canva
|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 adds arbitration clause for future Affinity Studio users|See this article here]].
|<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />
|-
|[[Alibaba]]
|[[wikipedia:Alibaba_Group|WP]]
|
|-
|Amazon
|Amazon renders Fire TV Blaster unusable, offers Amazon gift card to affected customers
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Amazon-makes-Fire-TV-Blaster-unusable-11145570.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260120070820/https://www.heise.de/en/news/Amazon-makes-Fire-TV-Blaster-unusable-11145570.html |archive-date=20 Jan 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Apple]]
|Apple changes Logic Pro and the Apple office suite into a subscription when it was either a one time purchase or free with the mac.
|
|-
|[[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= |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
|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
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |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}}</ref>
|-
|'''Arduino''' (/ɑːrˈdwiːnoʊ/) is an Italian open-source hardware and software company owned by Qualcomm
|Arduino’s new terms of service worries hobbyists ahead of Qualcomm acquisition.
User shall not:

*translate, decompile or reverse-engineer the Platform, or engage in any other activity designed to identify the algorithms and logic of the Platform’s operation, unless expressly allowed by Arduino or by applicable license agreements …
|
|-
|Atlassian
|Users forced from on-premise to cloud only subscriptions
Edit: Page has been started [[Atlassian on premise to subscription|here]], more work, citation, and verification needs to be done.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ascend to the cloud: The next chapter for Atlassian and our customers |url=https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/atlassian-ascend |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251018171903/https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/atlassian-ascend |archive-date=18 Oct 2025}}</ref>
|-
|[[Axon]]
|Tazers sold with lease agreement that makes purchase effectively a subscription.
|[https://norwoodrecord.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4/8/114832579/norwood_record_pages_1_to_12__4sep2025.pdf <nowiki>[69]</nowiki>]
|-
|[[Bayer]]
|[[wikipedia:Bayer|Wikipedia]]. See [[Monsanto]]
|
|-
|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>
|-
|[[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.
|
|-
|[[Cloud-first]]
|The antithesis of local-first
|
|-
|[[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>
|-
|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>
|-
|Dell and HP
|HP and Dell have disabled HEVC (H.264/H.265) hardware encoding and decoding support built into their laptops’ CPUs using both Intel and AMD processors.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=2025-11-21 |title=HP and Dell disable HEVC support built into their laptops’ CPUs |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/hp-and-dell-disable-hevc-support-built-into-their-laptops-cpus/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251121083438/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/hp-and-dell-disable-hevc-support-built-into-their-laptops-cpus/ |archive-date=2025-11-21 |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|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>
|-
|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=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>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|[[Google Chromecast]]
|Chromecast has transitioned from a standalone product to one that requires the Google Home app for setup and control. This change prevents customers who either don't own a smartphone or prefer not to use the app from accessing their Chromecast devices. As a result, certain televisions—such as the Caixon EC43S1UA, which relied on built-in Chromecast functionality—can no longer be used as intended. This effectively removes a key feature from a product that was already purchased, diminishing its value or rendering it unusable altogether.
|
|-
|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
|
|-
|Google
|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 Graphene OS, 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}}</ref>
|-
|Google Maps
|Google restricts data visible in Google Maps for users who are not signed in with an 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 |title= |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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |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}}</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>
|
|-
|[[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.
|
|-
|[[Hikvision]]
|Chinese surveillance camera manufacturer complicit in Uighur genocide which used to advertise recognition of praying and ramadan fasting among its selling points. Similarly to [[Flock license plate readers|Flock]], they are in use world wide and likely feed directly into the Chinese government's surveillance infrastructure and could conceivably be used to find dissidents world-wide. Recently, [https://netzpolitik.org/2025/hikvision-hersteller-der-hamburger-ki-ueberwachungskameras-ist-fuer-menschenrechtsverletzungen-bekannt/ the city of Hamburg has installed them] ([https://netzpolitik-org.translate.goog/2025/hikvision-hersteller-der-hamburger-ki-ueberwachungskameras-ist-fuer-menschenrechtsverletzungen-bekannt/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp Google Translate Version in English]).
|
|-
|[[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].
|
|-
|[[IPVideo Corporation]] (owned by [[Motorola]])
|Manufacturer of surveillance hardware. The notable example that brought them to my attention is the Halo 3C/3C-PC Smart Sensor, which is deployed in places such as school bathrooms and subsidized/social housing. This system has a variety of sensors on it, from air quality ones (for detecting smoking/vape usage) all the way to microphones (ostensibly for audio analysis to identify aggression and gunshots, without the capability to stream the audio elsewhere, but this not a limitation built into the hardware and could be changed by a firmware update).
|<ref>{{Cite_web |last=Reynaldo |last2=nyx |name-list-style=amp |date=2025-10-10 |title=DEF CON 33 - Unmasking the Snitch Puck: IoT surveillance tech in the school bathroom |url=https://youtu.be/WCnojaEpF2I |publisher=DEF CON |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=WCnojaEpF2I |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite_web |access-date=2025-10-26 |url=https://www.pelco.com/sensors |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250922000017/https://www.pelco.com/sensors |archive-date=2025-09-22 |title=HALO Smart Sensor Suite |website=PELCO}}</ref>
|-
|[[iRacing]]
|iRacing is a racing game that's subscription-based, requiring payment just to play the actual game in either online or offline mode.
|
|-
|[[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>
|-
|[[JavaScript]]
|[[wikipedia:JavaScript|WP]]. [https://github.com/Rudxain/blog/blob/main/post/js-abuse.md Compilation of sources/refs]
|
|-
|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= |first=Fight for the Future |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 & Odysseys 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 |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 |via=IEEE Xplore |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250825221749/https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9126007/ |archive-date=25 Aug 2025}}</ref>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|[[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>
|-
|McDonald's/Taylor
|McDonald's US mandates which ice cream machine has to be used by franchise licensees. The company that makes these machines uses deliberately obfuscated error codes to force restaurant owners to use their expensive tech service to fix them and reset the machines. The company makes more money from these "repairs" support than with actual sales. Not strictly end consumer, but the pattern warrants documenting imo.
A similar problem exists with Doremi (Dolby) cinema projectors where their DRM leads to a ridiculous number of actions breaking the so-called "marriage" (projector-media block unity), requiring a costly technician to reset it. This one needs sources researched, though, as I don't have one on hand.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why McDonald's Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken and How To Fix Them |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uCpY3tFTIA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=2uCpY3tFTIA |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[Facebook]], [[Yandex]]
|Automatic opt-in of user-generated content being used for the purposes of training AI.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Borgesius |first=Frederik |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Post on akademienl.social |url=https://akademienl.social/@Frederik_Borgesius/114392662340468118 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222212336/https://akademienl.social/@Frederik_Borgesius/114392662340468118 |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=akademienl.social}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=AP: kom nu in actie als je niet wil dat Meta AI traint met jouw data |url=https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-kom-nu-in-actie-als-je-niet-wil-dat-meta-ai-traint-met-jouw-data |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260129185427/https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-kom-nu-in-actie-als-je-niet-wil-dat-meta-ai-traint-met-jouw-data |archive-date=29 Jan 2026|access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[Instagram]]/[[Meta|Facebook]]
|If a user is detected to having suspicious activity, their account will be locked until they send selfie verification. This is said to be done in order to detect robots, minors, or accounts no longer controlled by its original owner. During selfie verification, the user will be instructed to slowly turn their head for the camera. The data may be sent to a third party to estimate the users age, scanned for the liveliness and biometrics, or compared to the users profile picture depending on the suspected issue. The data will be deleted once examined, which may take around a minute. Users have raised concerns on the privacy, safety, and honesty of the cooperations actions.
|[https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/1jcrhnb/comment/mrsbzlp/?force-legacy-sct=1]
[https://help.instagram.com/1053588012132894]
[https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-looks-to-expand-video-selfie-age-checking-abide-by-new-laws/753281/]
[https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/10/upload-a-video-selfie-to-get-your-facebook-or-instagram-account-back]
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[WhatsApp]]
|In a new lawsuit, an ex-engineer alleges that 1500 engineers had unrestricted access to WhatsApp user data and that the company "failed to remedy the hacking and takeover of more than 100,000 accounts each day, ignoring his pleas and proposed fixes and choosing instead to prioritize user growth". (ongoing)
|[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/08/meta-user-data-lawsuit-whatsapp]
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[WhatsApp]]
|Lawsuite citing whistleblower alledges that Meta can read WhatsApp conversation despite claiming otherwise, response from Meta only states communication is end-to-end encrypted, but this does not explicitly exclude the possibility of Meta exfiltrating conversations at the endpoints and sending copies to Meta or anyone else.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url= |archive-url=https://archive.ph/e47Rb}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]
|A Reuters article revealed that Meta deliberately avoided cracking down on fraudulent ads, even going as far as disbanding the relevant team, because they make a substantial amount of money from said ads (10.1% of its revenue).
|[https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06/]
|-
|[[Microsoft]]
|Microsoft uses software engineers based in China to work on US Defense Department systems with laughably ineffective precautions. I think this is relevant in the context of Microsoft's attitude towards cloud security. In the past, master keys have been stolen by Chinese hackers and from my understanding, it's not even clear to what extent those groups still have access to Microsoft's internal systems, and by extension, Microsoft customers'. This needs more research though.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dudley |first=Renee |date=2025-07-15 |title=A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-digital-escorts-pentagon-defense-department-china-hackers |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260127212646/https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-digital-escorts-pentagon-defense-department-china-hackers |archive-date=27 Jan 2026|website=ProRepublica}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mitsubishi Motors]]
|Mitsubishi Motors has a rich history of consumer protection, compliance issues and privacy breaches. These include concealing safety defects, falsifying fuel economy data, and being fined for false advertising. Following the trend of subscription services for the automotive industry, Mitsubishi paywalls built-in features including remote start, SOS, collision detection, and car tracking through its app Mitsubishi Connect subscription service.
|[https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mitsubishi-fined-42-million-by-japans-consumer-affairs-agency-115026.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://leakd.com/leaks/mitsubishi-motors-vietnam-customer-data-breached/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Motors?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/?order=pen_year&parent=mitsubishi-motors&sort=&utm_source=chatgpt.com][https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/newsroom/newsrelease/2017/20171129_3.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
|-
|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 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.
|
|-
|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/
|
|-
|Netgear (internet networking equipment)
|Almost every Netgear internet router requires the creation of a new account to function as a router, 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].
|[https://www.netgear.com/about/terms-and-conditions/ <nowiki>[62]</nowiki>]
[https://kb.netgear.com/000062104/What-subscription-plans-are-available-for-NETGEAR-Smart-Parental-Controls <nowiki>[63]</nowiki>]
[https://www.netgear.com/hub/author/abhorkar/ <nowiki>[64]</nowiki>]
[https://www.pcmag.com/news/tp-link-accuses-netgear-of-smear-campaign-to-advance-us-router-ban?test_uuid=04IpBmWGZleS0I0J3epvMrC&test_variant=B <nowiki>[65]</nowiki>]
|-
|Nothing
|Nothing brings home-screen ads (can be disabled manually) and [[bloatware]] to its lower end models despite previously boasting about being bloatware free
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Floemer |first=Andreas |date=2025-10-27 |title=Phone 3a: NothingOS 4.0 brings optional ads to the lock screen |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Phone-3a-NothingOS-4-0-brings-optional-ads-to-the-lock-screen-10904033.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222212507/https://www.heise.de/en/news/Phone-3a-NothingOS-4-0-brings-optional-ads-to-the-lock-screen-10904033.html |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Heise Online}}</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>
|-
|Persona (Age verification service)
|Used by Discord to do age verification using facial 3d scans, which are transmitted to Persona servers. It has been revealed that the company has ties to Palantir and Peter Thiel.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/oh-good-discords-age-verification-rollout-has-ties-to-palantir-co-founder-and-panopticon-architect-peter-thiel/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221224755/https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/oh-good-discords-age-verification-rollout-has-ties-to-palantir-co-founder-and-panopticon-architect-peter-thiel/ |archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|Rosetta Stone (Language Learning Software)
|Rosetta Stone is a language learning product that used to be sold on CDs and as downloadable software. At some point they switched to subscriptions only.
Rosetta Stone is bricking their legacy CD-based and downloadable software by blocking activation, despite perpetual license, to force owners to buy a subscription plan. They refuse to honor the EULA<ref>{{Cite web |title=GLOBAL END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT |url=http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/eulas/eula-global-eng.pdf |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904223201/http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/eulas/eula-global-eng.pdf |archive-date=04 Sep 2011 |archive-format=PDF |website=Rosetta Stone |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>, which grants the owner right to use the software they own and the license does not have an expiration date. They claim it's because they no longer support the software, but the software does not require support. All that's needed is for them to stop blocking users from activating their fully paid-for software on their computer. Their decision to take down their activation servers shouldn't brick the standalone software.

There are lots of related unresolved complaints and negative reviews on the [https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/complaints BBB]<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone, Ltd Reviews |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/customer-reviews |url-status=live |access-date=20 Feb 2026 |website=Better Business Bureau® |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032250/https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/customer-reviews |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref> and [https://www.trustpilot.com/review/rosettastone.com Trustpilot]<ref name=":6" />. There is also related post on [https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1qt3jx8/psa_rosetta_stone_is_bricking_permanent_licenses/ Reddit]<ref name=":7" />, which has garnered 3K upvotes.
|<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone Reviews |url=https://www.trustpilot.com/review/rosettastone.com |website=Trustpilot |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251231150605/https://www.trustpilot.com/review/rosettastone.com |archive-date=31 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone, Ltd Complaints |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/complaints |website=Better Business Bureau® |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032342/https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/complaints |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=1 Feb 2026 |title=PSA: Rosetta Stone is "bricking" permanent licenses to force users into subscriptions |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1qt3jx8/psa_rosetta_stone_is_bricking_permanent_licenses/ |access-date=19 Feb 2026 |website=Reddit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032313/https://old.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1qt3jx8/psa_rosetta_stone_is_bricking_permanent_licenses/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[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>
|-
|[[Slack]]
|Slack threatened to deactivate the Slack workspace and delete all message history of a nonprofit unless they agreed to a price hike of $200k yearly and also pay an extra $50k within a week. There were no prior warnings from Slack. A few years prior to this incident, they had agreed to migrate from the free nonprofit plan to a $5k per year plan.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-18 |title=Slack is extorting us with a $195k/yr bill increase |url=https://skyfall.dev/posts/slack |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250930075808/https://skyfall.dev/posts/slack |archive-date=2025-09-30}}</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>
|-
|[[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>
|-
|Twitch
|Twitch has recently partnered with Persona to verify the ages of new affiliates before first payouts.
|
|-
|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>
|-
|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>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|[[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>
|-
|Wolfgang Puck Bread Makers
|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).
|
|-
|Xcode support dropped for older MacBooks
|Apple has discontinued support for up to date versions of Xcode iOS development on older MacBook devices (discovered on my MacBook Pro 2017, but I’m sure it applies to other old devices as well), resulting in not being able to use a perfectly capable machine for iOS app development without having to go through countless loopholes. 1) you cannot commit new updates without utilizing a third-party medium, 2) the warning and error compiler is out of date due to not being able to update to the latest version, which of course supports the latest iOS release, so you have to figure it out on your own like it’s the 80’s 3) you must commit and release a new TestFlight build (through [1] loophole) to do any testing instead of being able to simulate on your Mac or even a connected device 4) this all really stems from the fact that the new Xcode updates require the new MacOS version which is also discontinued for older MacBooks. This means 8 year old device is basically just useless for such applications.
|[[Category:Sources]]
|-
|[[Zhiyun]]
|Like competing products from [[DJI]], Zhiyun video gimbals require a Chinese smartphone app, internet access and an account to activate on first use.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CjNp6pWNoQ |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=_CjNp6pWNoQ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</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
|-
|Anti-rollback or ARB for device firmware
|most recent example being [[Oneplus phone update introduces hardware anti-rollback]] but ain't exclusive to it. Also implemented by [[Oneplus phone update introduces hardware anti-rollback#Comparison with other manufacturers|Samsung]], [https://mavicpilots.com/threads/not-be-able-to-degrade-firmfare-of-dji-mini2-from-01-06-0200.134806/#post-1518967 DJI] (link found from [[DJI]]) and likely many more.
|
|-
|[[SLAPP suits and legal intimidation]]
|There are increasing instances of companies using lawyers to silence product reviewers and other content creators by sending Cease & Desist letters to threaten and intimidate, and sometimes actually filing lawsuits against creators because they shared an opinion or exposed a flaw that makes the company look bad.
Rationale for inclusion on this Wiki: Honest product reviews serve to protect consumers from companies who manipulate and lie to customers about the quality, source, and real-world applicability of their products. Using lawyers to silence dissent directly hurts both content creators and consumers.
I believe Louis has covered or mentioned each of these Refs in his videos.
|<ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuDIMztL9OU |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=CuDIMztL9OU |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> <ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItSrtE-GHCc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=ItSrtE-GHCc |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> <ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcKvMuYdf4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=STcKvMuYdf4 |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>
|-
|Unfinished, insanely buggy games pushed for release
|Games are continually being pushed for release without having been finished and/or the major kinks ironed out. If they were an alpha/beta release it'd be understandable but no its full blown "stable" release.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Isaac |first=Mike |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=2020-12-19 |title=Cyberpunk 2077 Was Supposed to Be the Biggest Video Game of the Year. What Happened? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/style/cyberpunk-2077-video-game-disaster.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260204050159/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/style/cyberpunk-2077-video-game-disaster.html |archive-date=4 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-01-22 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
|}

==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>
|-
|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 |title= |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.
|
|-
|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>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|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>
|}

==See Also==

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

==Reference List==
<references />

RAM Shortage

2026-02-19T18:48:33Z

NitezInHyperspace: Fixed citations, added a little more text to Samsung's Corporate response... if anything needs elaboration/fixing just let me know.

{{Stub}}
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=OpenAI, Samsung, Micron
|StartDate=2025-10-01
|Status=Active
|ArticleType=Product
|Type=Price Fixing, Supply Shortage
|Description=OpenAI has made large RAM purchasing deals with major manufacturers for its Stargate project, leading to a consumer shortage of RAM globally.
}}

The '''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' started around the end of 2025 as a consequence of AI companies making deals with hardware manufacturers to produce and supply the AI companies with [[wikipedia:Dynamic_random-access_memory|dynamic random-access memory (DRAM)]]. This caused a significant supply shortage and corresponding price increase of DRAM in the consumer market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ehrhardt |first=Michelle |date=2025-12-10 |title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) |url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Lifehacker}}</ref> Prices of other computer components, such as [[wikipedia:Solid-state_drive|solid-state drives (SSDs)]] and [[wikipedia:Graphics_processing_unit|graphics processing units (GPUs)]] have also increased, although at a lesser scale.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garreffa |first=Anthony |date=2025-12-27 |title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis |url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=TweakTown}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Munnawer |first=Amna |date=2026-02-12 |title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? |url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Direct Macro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nasir |first=Hassam |date=2026-02-17 |title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Tom's Hardware}}</ref> [[File:CrucialProOverclocking32GB(2x16GB)DDR5-6000CL36MemoryPriceIncreasePCPartPicker.png|thumb|A screenshot of a graph from [https://pcpartpicker.com/ PcPartPicker] taken on 02-06-2026 showing the price increase of the product ''Crucial Pro Overclocking 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory'']]

==Background==
With the release of [[ChatGPT]], [[OpenAI]] became the leading pioneer of artificial intelligence. Seeing this, more companies wanted to develop their own AI models and build infrastructure to compete in the AI market. [[Samsung]], [[Micron]], and [[SK Hynix]] are the main RAM producers for consumers and corporations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crider |first=Michael |date=2026-02-10 |title=Report: Desperate PC manufacturers are turning to China for RAM |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3057590/report-desperate-pc-manufacturers-turn-to-china-for-ram.html |access-date=2026-02-11 |work=PC World}}</ref>

==Causes of the shortage==
On October 1st 2025, OpenAI signed deals with major memory manufacturers to secure 40% of global RAM production.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shilov |first=Anton |date=2025-10-01 |title=OpenAI's Stargate project to consume up to 40% of global DRAM output — inks deal with Samsung and SK hynix to the tune of up to 900,000 wafers per month |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/dram/openais-stargate-project-to-consume-up-to-40-percent-of-global-dram-output-inks-deal-with-samsung-and-sk-hynix-to-the-tune-of-up-to-900-000-wafers-per-month |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Tom's Hardware}}</ref> As of February 2026, RAM prices have tripled compared to October 2025. By late 2026, AI datacenters are expected to take 70% of all RAM usage. It is expected the RAM shortage could last until 2028.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Darragh |date=2026-01-14 |title='DRAM shortages could persist for quite some time now': Micron on RAM crisis lasting until 2028 with high AI demand, 'we are still servicing the consumer market' |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/theres-just-not-enough-supply-to-go-around-micron-believes-ram-shortage-wont-improve-until-2028-at-least-until-the-ai-demand-starts-to-fade-away |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Tom's Guide}}</ref>

==Corporate response==

===Micron===
{{Main|Exit of Crucial from consumer business}}
Micron has exited the consumer RAM market to focus resources toward manufacturing RAM to supply AI data centers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Satya |last2=Plungy |first2=Mark |date=2025-12-03 |title=Micron Announces Exit from Crucial Consumer Business |url=https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Micron}}</ref>

===Samsung===
Samsung has promised to continue selling SSDs despite rumors that it had plans to leave the consumer market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Batt |first=Simon |date=2025-12-15 |title=No, we're not backing out of the consumer SSD market, says Samsung |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/not-backing-out-of-consumer-ssd-market-samsung/#:~:text=We%27ll%20keep%20selling%20SSDs%20to%20the%20consumer%2C%20says%20Samsung&text=Right%20now%2C%20we%27re%20seeing,supplying%20us%20with%20its%20hardware. |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=XDA Developers}}</ref>

==Consequences==
The shortage of DRAM has already affected personal computing, with consequences like:
*Samsung and SK Hynix have increased RAM prices due to slowed production and less competition from Micron.
*The DRAM price increase has also increased the price to purchase a whole new computer, making computers a less accessible product for a regular consumer.
*Some manufacturers selling their computers without DRAM included. One notable example is Maingear, who has started their own BYO (bring your own) RAM program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bring your own RAM, we’ll build you a complete PC. |url=https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Maingear}}</ref>
*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 <ref>{{Cite web |last=Murtaza |first=Fawad |date=2026-01-22 |title=AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=NotebookCheck}}</ref>, and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yee |first=Alainia |date=2026-01-23 |title=Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinghorn |first=Jess |date=2026-01-14 |title=Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref><br />
==Consumer response==
The RAM shortage has caused outrage amongst consumers, talking about how manufacturers are prioritizing the profits of the AI market and ignoring regular consumers. Lots of content on social media has been posted talking about the topic and its negative impact on personal computing, for example by highlighting the potential fulfillment of Jeff Bezos' desire for consumers to rent computing power from the cloud; taking away ownership<ref>{{Cite web |last=Corden |first=Jez |date=2026-01-13 |title=Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/jeff-bezos-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-bezos-envisions-that-youll-give-up-your-pc-for-an-ai-cloud-version |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Windows Central}}</ref>, and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. <ref>{{Cite web |last=MonkeyExplains |first= |date=2026-01-18 |title=RAM Prices Are Worse Then You Think |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Youtube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gamers Nexus |date=2025-12-05 |title=WTF Just Happened? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Youtube}}</ref><br />

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:2025 incidents]]
[[Category:2026 incidents]]

Flock Safety Nova uses dark web data for surveillance

2026-02-14T00:58:14Z

NitezInHyperspace: Finished adding information, citations are next..

{{StubNotice}}{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Flock Safety
|Status=Pending Resolution
|Type=Surveillance
|Description=Flock Safety has a program called Nova that uses info from data breaches to strengthen their surveillance
}}'''[[Flock Safety]]''' has a program called Nova, which combines their surveillance technology into a database of personal information from the internet. In a leak reported by 404 Media, a Flock Safety employee claims that the company is using information from data breaches to provide this information. When questioned on this, Flock Safety's spokeperson claims that Flock "thought about using dark web data but we changed our mind," further claiming that the information leak from the employee to 404 Media was not based off "finalized" information.

==Background==
Flock Safety's Nova is a software developed that accesses data from other sources, including other companies and other sources on the web.

One Flock employee stated: “You're going to be able to access data and jump from LPR to person and understand what that context is, link to other people that are related to that person [...] marriage or through gang affiliation, et cetera,” Supposedly Nova has 20 types of data agencies can search through. Flock said that "the tool is already being used by some law enforcement agencies in an early access program...".

A Slack message stated that Flock's philosophy is "We live in a western democracy governed by the rule of law, set by democratically elected representatives. Nova will always operate within those boundaries."

==Possible use of Dark Web data usage==
In meeting audio obtained by 404 Media, a Flock employee went on to describe the types of data that will supplement the company's ALPR data with. The employee listed three kinds; Data breaches, with one specific example being a data breach from Park Mobile, an app that allows users to pay for parking despite not actually being there, or in spots where parking meters no longer remain. This leaked data included owners’ associated email addresses, phone numbers, and in some cases mailing addresses of the owners. On Flock, the employee said: “Nova ingests that and is able to use that to contextualize the data. So we're now able to make that cognitive leap from LPR to person,”. The second type was commercially available data, specifically naming credit bureaus Equifax and TransUnion. Some companies repackage the information given to them by customers when opening up a new credit card account and sell it to law enforcement or data brokers. The last kind described was public records, with information included such as marriage licenses, property records, and campaign finance records. It was said that Nova will also pull from law enforcement Records Management Systems (RMS), typically used to store information on cases, and also Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems, which are used to manage responses to 911 calls.

==='''Flock's response'''===
----Flock stated that “Nova is a public safety data platform that helps investigators analyze and connect data they already have access to, surfacing insights to uncover leads and close cases faster. The software is completely customizable—customers choose what data inputs they want in Nova and what permissions each user has access to. In other words, Nova is a software product and the data sources are chosen by the customer.” They also stated that all actions within the Nova platform are permanently recorded in an audit trail. Added was: “While officers may have access to similar information through other means, centralizing it within Nova adds a crucial layer of transparency and accountability, so our democratically-elected governing bodies can ensure it is used in accordance with the law,” Flock declined to specify where they get their data sources from, saying that some of the questions pertained to proprietary data. They stated that while Nova is in early access, general availability of it will be available in June.

To further try and fix the damage done, Flock stated that “Nova is currently being used by select law enforcement in an Early Access program. It has already helped a detective investigating Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) cases identify leads and confirm suspects (who were sentenced to 80 years in jail), amongst other successes,”, that "Nova will be backed by the same built-in privacy and transparency features as all Flock products,", and that they "thought about using dark web data but changed our mind,".

On their official page addressing this accusation, they stated that, "While in early development stages, all Flock products go through a Policy Evaluation, led by our Policy team of attorneys and product leaders. This process starts with first principles: would this product contribute meaningfully toward a community becoming safer? And if so, does it align with our values of protecting individual privacy, enabling accountability and transparency, and ensuring democratic authorization? How can we mitigate any foreseeable risk associated with the use of a given product? Then, the Evaluation considers the potential impact and any risks of each feature within the product, including legal, ethical, privacy, public opinion, and feasibility considerations. The goal is to ensure the product or tool stands up to Flock’s ethical creed and is designed to deliver a safer future for communities nationwide. Only once a product passes through this evaluation, and product leaders and executives have a chance to assess and mitigate potential risk, does it move into full-scale production and release. Following the lengthy, intentional process described above, we have decided that Flock Nova will supply the following data sources: public records information, Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), and License Plate Reader (LPR) data. The Flock Nova tool can also enable agencies to connect their Records Management Systems (RMS), Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), and data from jail systems, as well as all of the above from other agencies who agree to share that data. "

==Consumer response==
Many organizations have expressed concern with the use of Nova. Beryl Lipton, senior investigative at activist organization Electric Frontier Foundation, said to 404 Media in an email: “Flock has hundreds of customers, both law enforcement and private residents. This development will certainly help to bring expanded surveillance powers to police departments of all sizes that never needed this much information on any random person who happens to drive by,”.

Senior policy analyst at ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, Jay Stanley, stated that: “[at] this moment in history, of all times, you especially don't want to be building authoritarian spying structures for law enforcement.” He added that “People are being literally put behind bars for writing an op-ed,”, referring to Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was released earlier this month after spending six weeks in detention.

Micheal Soyfer, an attorney from the Institute for Justice, emailed a statement saying: “Backed by billions of dollars in capital, it’s working with police departments across the country to build out a massive database of people’s movements and locations. All an officer or another government employee needs to do to access that database is type in a search, provide some generic reason, and hit enter.” He went further to say, “Flock’s constant announcements of new and more invasive features just reinforces the need for a warrant requirement,”

Senior policy counselor Chad Marlow at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told 404 Media in an email that: “It is quite troubling that Flock ALPRs are designed to produce a massive overload of surveillance data by gathering and sharing ALPR data nationwide, and now they are marketing a product to help the police deal with the data overload they created,”.

Civil rights groups are also increasingly concerned that law enforcement agencies could turn to similar surveillance technology.

==References==
{{reflist}}https://web.archive.org/web/20250514140531/https://www.404media.co/license-plate-reader-company-flock-is-building-a-massive-people-lookup-tool-leak-shows/

https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/correcting-the-record-flock-nova-will-not-supply-dark-web-data

https://www.govtech.com/biz/flock-safety-pushes-back-on-data-breach-product-criticism<nowiki/>{{Ph-I-C}}

[[Category:Flock Safety]]

Flock Safety Nova uses dark web data for surveillance

2026-02-12T21:28:23Z

NitezInHyperspace: More information, going to flesh out consumer response/fix/add citations sometime later...

{{StubNotice}}{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Flock Safety
|Status=Pending Resolution
|Type=Surveillance
|Description=Flock Safety has a program called Nova that uses info from data breaches to strengthen their surveillance
}}'''[[Flock Safety]]''' has a program called Nova, which combines their surveillance technology into a database of personal information from the internet. In a leak reported by 404 Media, a Flock Safety employee claims that the company is using information from data breaches to provide this information. When questioned on this, Flock Safety's spokeperson claims that Flock "thought about using dark web data but we changed our mind," further claiming that the information leak from the employee to 404 Media was not based off "finalized" information.

==Background==
Flock Safety's Nova is a software developed that accesses data from other sources, including other companies and other sources on the web.

One Flock employee stated: “You're going to be able to access data and jump from LPR to person and understand what that context is, link to other people that are related to that person [...] marriage or through gang affiliation, et cetera,” Supposedly Nova has 20 types of data agencies can search through. Flock said that "the tool is already being used by some law enforcement agencies in an early access program...".

A Slack message stated that Flock's philosophy is "We live in a western democracy governed by the rule of law, set by democratically elected representatives. Nova will always operate within those boundaries."

==Possible use of Dark Web data usage==
In meeting audio obtained by 404 Media, a Flock employee went on to describe the types of data that will supplement the company's ALPR data with. The employee listed three kinds; Data breaches, with one specific example being a data breach from Park Mobile, an app that allows users to pay for parking despite not actually being there, or in spots where parking meters no longer remain. This leaked data included owners’ associated email addresses, phone numbers, and in some cases mailing addresses of the owners. On Flock, the employee said: “Nova ingests that and is able to use that to contextualize the data. So we're now able to make that cognitive leap from LPR to person,”. The second type was commercially available data, specifically naming credit bureaus Equifax and TransUnion. Some companies repackage the information given to them by customers when opening up a new credit card account and sell it to law enforcement or data brokers. The last kind described was public records, with information included such as marriage licenses, property records, and campaign finance records. It was said that Nova will also pull from law enforcement Records Management Systems (RMS), typically used to store information on cases, and also Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems, which are used to manage responses to 911 calls.

==='''Flock's response'''===
----Flock stated that “Nova is a public safety data platform that helps investigators analyze and connect data they already have access to, surfacing insights to uncover leads and close cases faster. The software is completely customizable—customers choose what data inputs they want in Nova and what permissions each user has access to. In other words, Nova is a software product and the data sources are chosen by the customer.” They also stated that all actions within the Nova platform are permanently recorded in an audit trail. Added was: “While officers may have access to similar information through other means, centralizing it within Nova adds a crucial layer of transparency and accountability, so our democratically-elected governing bodies can ensure it is used in accordance with the law,” Flock declined to specify where they get their data sources from, saying that some of the questions pertained to proprietary data. They stated that while Nova is in early access, general availability of it will be available in June.

To further try and fix the damage done, Flock stated that “Nova is currently being used by select law enforcement in an Early Access program. It has already helped a detective investigating Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) cases identify leads and confirm suspects (who were sentenced to 80 years in jail), amongst other successes,”, that "Nova will be backed by the same built-in privacy and transparency features as all Flock products,", and that they "thought about using dark web data but changed our mind,".

On their official page addressing this accusation, they stated that, "While in early development stages, all Flock products go through a Policy Evaluation, led by our Policy team of attorneys and product leaders. This process starts with first principles: would this product contribute meaningfully toward a community becoming safer? And if so, does it align with our values of protecting individual privacy, enabling accountability and transparency, and ensuring democratic authorization? How can we mitigate any foreseeable risk associated with the use of a given product? Then, the Evaluation considers the potential impact and any risks of each feature within the product, including legal, ethical, privacy, public opinion, and feasibility considerations. The goal is to ensure the product or tool stands up to Flock’s ethical creed and is designed to deliver a safer future for communities nationwide. Only once a product passes through this evaluation, and product leaders and executives have a chance to assess and mitigate potential risk, does it move into full-scale production and release. Following the lengthy, intentional process described above, we have decided that Flock Nova will supply the following data sources: public records information, Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), and License Plate Reader (LPR) data. The Flock Nova tool can also enable agencies to connect their Records Management Systems (RMS), Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), and data from jail systems, as well as all of the above from other agencies who agree to share that data. "

==Consumer response==
{{Ph-I-ConR}}

==References==
{{reflist}}https://web.archive.org/web/20250514140531/https://www.404media.co/license-plate-reader-company-flock-is-building-a-massive-people-lookup-tool-leak-shows/

https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/correcting-the-record-flock-nova-will-not-supply-dark-web-data

https://www.govtech.com/biz/flock-safety-pushes-back-on-data-breach-product-criticism<nowiki/>{{Ph-I-C}}

[[Category:Flock Safety]]

Flock Safety Nova uses dark web data for surveillance

2026-02-11T23:37:56Z

NitezInHyperspace: Added more information, changed some titles.

RAM Shortage

2026-02-10T00:48:19Z

NitezInHyperspace: /*Added more info, fixed spelling, sentence structure, etc, cleaned up some of the citations*/

{{Stub}}
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=OpenAI, Samsung, Micron
|StartDate=2025-10-01
|Status=Active
|ArticleType=Product
|Type=Price Fixing
|Description=OpenAI purchased almost half of the RAM.
}}

The '''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' is an event that started at the end of 2025 as a consequence of AI companies making deals with hardware manufacturers to produce and supply the AI companies with [[wikipedia:Dynamic_random-access_memory|dynamic random-access memory (DRAM)]]. This caused a significant price increase of DRAM in the market. {{Citation needed}} Prices of other computer components, such as [[wikipedia:Solid-state_drive|solid-state drives (SSDs)]] and [[wikipedia:Graphics_processing_unit|graphics processing units (GPUs)]] have also increased at a lesser scale. {{Citation needed}} [[File:CrucialProOverclocking32GB(2x16GB)DDR5-6000CL36MemoryPriceIncreasePCPartPicker.png|thumb|A screenshot of a graph from [https://pcpartpicker.com/ PcPartPicker] taken on 02-06-2026 showing the price increase of the product ''Crucial Pro Overclocking 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory'']]

==Background==
With the release of [[ChatGPT]], OpenAI became the leading pioneer of the Artificial Intelligence. Seeing this, more companies wanted to develop their own AI models and build infrastructure to compete in the AI market.
[[Samsung]], [[Micron]], and [[SK Hynix]] are the main RAM producers for consumers and corporations.

==Causes of the shortage==
On October 1st 2025, OpenAI signed deals with major memory manufacturers to secure 40% of global RAM production. As of February 2026, RAM prices have tripled compared to October 2025. By late 2026, AI datacenters are expected to take 70% of all RAM usage. [[https://medium.com/predict/openai-crashed-the-global-memory-supply-4cc7136c3e73 1]] It is expected the RAM shortage could last until 2028. {{Citation needed}}

==Corporate response==

===Micron=== {{Main|Exit of Crucial from consumer business}}
Micron has exited the consumer RAM market to focus resources toward manufacturing RAM to supply AI data centers.[[https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business 2]]

===Samsung===
Samsung has promised to continue selling SSDs

==Consequences==
The shortage of DRAM has already affected personal computing, with consequences like:
*Samsung and Sk Hynix have increased RAM prices due to slowed production and less competition from Micron.
*The DRAM price increase has also increased the price to purchase a whole new computer, making computers a less accessible product for a regular consumer.
*Some manufacturers selling their computers without DRAM included. One notable example is Maingear, who has started their own BYO (bring your own) RAM program.[[https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program?srsltid=AfmBOooo1KkNAbHNsvNJsk3sLiGEtU3e8NhnDQhSLCDVhO0I4GWNKrRf 3]]
*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 [[https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html 4]], and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.[[https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html 5]][[https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ 6]]

==Consumer response==
The RAM shortage has caused outrage amongst consumers, talking about how manufacturers are prioritizing the profits of the AI market and ignoring regular consumers. Lots of content on social media has been posted talking about the topic and its negative impact on personal computing, for example by highlighting the potential fulfillment of Jeff Bezos' desire for consumers to rent computing power from the cloud; taking away ownership, [[https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/jeff-bezos-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-bezos-envisions-that-youll-give-up-your-pc-for-an-ai-cloud-version 7]] and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU 8]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s 9]]<br />

==References==
{{reflist}}[1] [https://medium.com/predict/openai-crashed-the-global-memory-supply-4cc7136c3e73 OpenAI crashed the global memory supply]

[2] [https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business Micron Announces Exit from Crucial Consumer Business]

[3] [https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program?srsltid=AfmBOooo1KkNAbHNsvNJsk3sLiGEtU3e8NhnDQhSLCDVhO0I4GWNKrRf MAINGEAR BYO RAM Program]

[4] [https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support]

[5] [https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need]

[6] [https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead]

[7] [https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/jeff-bezos-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-bezos-envisions-that-youll-give-up-your-pc-for-an-ai-cloud-version Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud]

[8] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU RAM prices are Worse Than You Think]

[9] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s WTF Just Happened? | The Corrupt Memory Industry & Micron]

{{Ph-I-C}}

PeerTube

2026-02-05T18:58:54Z

NitezInHyperspace: /* Grammar, readability, punctuation, etc, changes. */

{{StubNotice}}{{ProductCargo
|Company=Framasoft
|ReleaseYear=2018
|InProduction=No
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Social media, Media player
|Logo=Peertube logo.svg
|Website=https://peertube.tv/
|Description=PeerTube is a platform that lets users post videos (just like youtube), But also allows users to host their own channels with their own servers.
}}PeerTube is an open-source platform that uses peer-to-peer technology to host its own platform, with users expecting to host their own channel via their own hardware, instead of posting it to a PeerTube server.<ref>https://joinpeertube.org/</ref><ref>https://streamdiag.com/streaming-services/peertube-common-questions-answered-10439/</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==

===User Freedom===
PeerTube lets people make their own website that is connected to PeerTube where they can customize how their website looks, or acts.<ref>https://docs.joinpeertube.org/use/library</ref>

PeerTube does not moderate content, making the platform unsafe<ref>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42389394</ref><ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/PeerTube/comments/xe7fmp/questions_about_peertube/</ref>, with PeerTube expecting the channel owner to moderate their own channel<ref>https://docs.joinpeertube.org/admin/moderation</ref>. Yet still working towards user freedom as there are no restrictions to what you are able to post.

===User Privacy===
PeerTube currently respects privacy as it doesn't track anything<ref>https://joinpeertube.org/</ref>. Due to this, even if people gain access to PeerTube servers, they will not be able to gain any sensitive information for there is none.

===Business Model===
PeerTube's Business Model is that they consider their users as people, not as a product, and that letting people own their own channel is their main goal for their product.

===Market Control===
PeerTube has control over the main PeerTube website, where you view your main PeerTube feed; although channels cannot be deleted or removed by PeerTube owners.

==Incidents==
[please add an incident]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Article suggestions

2026-02-04T18:20:50Z

NitezInHyperspace: /* List of incidents not yet covered */

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 ''''ctrl + shift + k'''<nowiki/>' 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]] for a good collection 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://archive.ph/3q0mg |archive-date=29 Jun 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/mjErE |archive-date=18 Jun 2025 |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|}

==List of incidents not yet covered==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[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.
|-
|Affinity / Canva
|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=https://archive.ph/dMkbz |archive-date=28 Dec 2025 |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 adds arbitration clause for future Affinity Studio users|See this article here]].
|<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />
|-
|Amazon
|Amazon renders Fire TV Blaster unusable, offers Amazon gift card to affected customers
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Amazon-makes-Fire-TV-Blaster-unusable-11145570.html}}</ref>
|-
|[[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://archive.ph/n5uiO |archive-date=2 Oct 2023 |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=https://archive.ph/daPkU |archive-date=20 Sep 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/BRUpE |archive-date=9 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=https://archive.ph/k04XP |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |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= |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/1qq7q9m/new_versions_of_keynote_numbers_and_pages_collect/}}</ref>
|-
|Atlassian
|Users forced from on-premise to cloud only subscriptions
Edit: Page has been started [[Atlassian on premise to subscription|here]], more work, citation, and verification needs to be done.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ascend to the cloud: The next chapter for Atlassian and our customers |url=https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/atlassian-ascend |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/1aKhy |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Axon]]
|Tazers sold with lease agreement that makes purchase effectively a subscription.
|[https://norwoodrecord.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4/8/114832579/norwood_record_pages_1_to_12__4sep2025.pdf <nowiki>[69]</nowiki>]
|-
|[[Bayer]]/[[Monsanto]]
|[[wikipedia:Bayer|WP:B]]/[[wikipedia:Monsanto|WP:M]]. They abuse farmers and are a risk to public health.
|
|-
|[[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.
|
|-
|[[Chat control]]
|[[wikipedia:Regulation_to_Prevent_and_Combat_Child_Sexual_Abuse|Wikipedia]]. Notice how the "official" name just specifies the "purpose" but not the what or the how
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/0eNBo |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref>
|-
|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=https://archive.ph/hclnK |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=Golem |language=de}}</ref>
|-
|Dell and HP
|HP and Dell have disabled HEVC (H.264/H.265) hardware encoding and decoding support built into their laptops’ CPUs using both Intel and AMD processors.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=2025-11-21 |title=HP and Dell disable HEVC support built into their laptops’ CPUs |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/hp-and-dell-disable-hevc-support-built-into-their-laptops-cpus/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251121083438/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/hp-and-dell-disable-hevc-support-built-into-their-laptops-cpus/ |archive-date=2025-11-21 |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|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=https://archive.ph/aumS8 |archive-date=26 Dec 2025 |website=E621}}</ref>
|-
|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=https://archive.ph/M7dfg |archive-date=4 Oct 2024 |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://archive.ph/tFdoZ |archive-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=https://archive.ph/v02cw |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</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=https://archive.ph/q13z3 |archive-date=31 Aug 2025 |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=PSA: Elegoo Centauri Carbon & GPL Compliance}}</ref>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|[[Google Chromecast]]
|Chromecast has transitioned from a standalone product to one that requires the Google Home app for setup and control. This change prevents customers who either don't own a smartphone or prefer not to use the app from accessing their Chromecast devices. As a result, certain televisions—such as the Caixon EC43S1UA, which relied on built-in Chromecast functionality—can no longer be used as intended. This effectively removes a key feature from a product that was already purchased, diminishing its value or rendering it unusable altogether.
|
|-
|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
|
|-
|Google
|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 Graphene OS, 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=https://archive.ph/XOCvC |archive-date=13 Oct 2025}}</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=https://archive.ph/wGSr6 |archive-date=21 Aug 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/LhLaf |archive-date=1 Nov 2014 |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=https://archive.ph/xDHrA |archive-date=19 Nov 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/Ta06Q |archive-date=9 Jan 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://archive.ph/DFzJ4 |archive-date=9 Jan 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=https://archive.ph/K86A2 |archive-date=2 Sep 2025 |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=The New Stack}}</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.
|
|-
|[[H&R Block]]
|Marketing paid products as free, deleting users' tax data upon downgrading to free versions, and forcing users to contact support to get access to the free version of the tax filing software. FTC alleges coercive and obstructive techniques are used to make users pay for services they don't need as well.
|
|-
|[[Hikvision]]
|Chinese surveillance camera manufacturer complicit in Uighur genocide which used to advertise recognition of praying and ramadan fasting among its selling points. Similarly to [[Flock license plate readers|Flock]], they are in use world wide and likely feed directly into the Chinese government's surveillance infrastructure and could conceivably be used to find dissidents world-wide. Recently, [https://netzpolitik.org/2025/hikvision-hersteller-der-hamburger-ki-ueberwachungskameras-ist-fuer-menschenrechtsverletzungen-bekannt/ the city of Hamburg has installed them] ([https://netzpolitik-org.translate.goog/2025/hikvision-hersteller-der-hamburger-ki-ueberwachungskameras-ist-fuer-menschenrechtsverletzungen-bekannt/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp Google Translate Version in English]).
|
|-
|[[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].
|
|-
|[[IPVideo Corporation]] (owned by [[Motorola]])
|Manufacturer of surveillance hardware. The notable example that brought them to my attention is the Halo 3C/3C-PC Smart Sensor, which is deployed in places such as school bathrooms and subsidized/social housing. This system has a variety of sensors on it, from air quality ones (for detecting smoking/vape usage) all the way to microphones (ostensibly for audio analysis to identify aggression and gunshots, without the capability to stream the audio elsewhere, but this not a limitation built into the hardware and could be changed by a firmware update).
|<ref>{{Cite_web |last=Reynaldo |last2=nyx |name-list-style=amp |date=2025-10-10 |title=DEF CON 33 - Unmasking the Snitch Puck: IoT surveillance tech in the school bathroom |url=https://youtu.be/WCnojaEpF2I |publisher=DEF CON}}</ref><ref>{{Cite_web |access-date=2025-10-26 |url=https://www.pelco.com/sensors |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250922000017/https://www.pelco.com/sensors |archive-date=2025-09-22 |title=HALO Smart Sensor Suite |website=PELCO}}</ref>
|-
|[[iRacing]]
|iRacing is a racing game that's subscription-based, requiring payment just to play the actual game in either online or offline mode.
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/C7iZH |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</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=https://archive.ph/AqwPB |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</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=https://archive.ph/Xm44R |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref>
|-
|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= |first=Fight for the Future |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 & Odysseys 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=https://archive.ph/SUzBN |archive-date=4 Sep 2019 |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=https://archive.ph/CL4UK |archive-date=28 Jun 2024 |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 |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 |via=IEEE Xplore}}</ref>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/n6mTn |archive-date=7 Aug 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/eGh91 |archive-date=5 Aug 2025 |access-date=15 Sep 2025 |website=Lowe's}}</ref>
|-
|McDonald's/Taylor
|McDonald's US mandates which ice cream machine has to be used by franchise licensees. The company that makes these machines uses deliberately obfuscated error codes to force restaurant owners to use their expensive tech service to fix them and reset the machines. The company makes more money from these "repairs" support than with actual sales. Not strictly end consumer, but the pattern warrants documenting imo.
A similar problem exists with Doremi (Dolby) cinema projectors where their DRM leads to a ridiculous number of actions breaking the so-called "marriage" (projector-media block unity), requiring a costly technician to reset it. This one needs sources researched, though, as I don't have one on hand.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why McDonald's Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken and How To Fix Them |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uCpY3tFTIA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IaCBe |archive-date=29 Aug 2023}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[Facebook]], [[Yandex]]
|Automatic opt-in of user-generated content being used for the purposes of training AI.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Borgesius |first=Frederik |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Post on akademienl.social |url=https://akademienl.social/@Frederik_Borgesius/114392662340468118 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/vubno |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=akademienl.social}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=AP: kom nu in actie als je niet wil dat Meta AI traint met jouw data |url=https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-kom-nu-in-actie-als-je-niet-wil-dat-meta-ai-traint-met-jouw-data |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/ekCRd |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[Instagram]]/[[Meta|Facebook]]
|If a user is detected to having suspicious activity, their account will be locked until they send selfie verification. This is said to be done in order to detect robots, minors, or accounts no longer controlled by its original owner. During selfie verification, the user will be instructed to slowly turn their head for the camera. The data may be sent to a third party to estimate the users age, scanned for the liveliness and biometrics, or compared to the users profile picture depending on the suspected issue. The data will be deleted once examined, which may take around a minute. Users have raised concerns on the privacy, safety, and honesty of the cooperations actions.
|[https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/1jcrhnb/comment/mrsbzlp/?force-legacy-sct=1]
[https://help.instagram.com/1053588012132894]
[https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-looks-to-expand-video-selfie-age-checking-abide-by-new-laws/753281/]
[https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/10/upload-a-video-selfie-to-get-your-facebook-or-instagram-account-back]
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[WhatsApp]]
|In a new lawsuit, an ex-engineer alleges that 1500 engineers had unrestricted access to WhatsApp user data and that the company "failed to remedy the hacking and takeover of more than 100,000 accounts each day, ignoring his pleas and proposed fixes and choosing instead to prioritize user growth". (ongoing)
|[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/08/meta-user-data-lawsuit-whatsapp]
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[WhatsApp]]
|Lawsuite citing whistleblower alledges that Meta can read WhatsApp conversation despite claiming otherwise, response from Meta only states communication is end-to-end encrypted, but this does not explicitly exclude the possibility of Meta exfiltrating conversations at the endpoints and sending copies to Meta or anyone else.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url= |archive-url=https://archive.ph/e47Rb}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]
|A Reuters article revealed that Meta deliberately avoided cracking down on fraudulent ads, even going as far as disbanding the relevant team, because they make a substantial amount of money from said ads (10.1% of its revenue).
|[https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06/]
|-
|[[Microsoft]]
|Microsoft uses software engineers based in China to work on US Defense Department systems with laughably ineffective precautions. I think this is relevant in the context of Microsoft's attitude towards cloud security. In the past, master keys have been stolen by Chinese hackers and from my understanding, it's not even clear to what extent those groups still have access to Microsoft's internal systems, and by extension, Microsoft customers'. This needs more research though.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dudley |first=Renee |date=2025-07-15 |title=A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-digital-escorts-pentagon-defense-department-china-hackers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/nbGhM |archive-date=1 Aug 2025 |website=ProRepublica}}</ref>
|-
|[[Microsoft Windows 11]]
|The Windows 11 Bing Wallpaper app, which offers regularly changing desktop wallpapers, opens bing.com at every single click onto the desktop and tries to make bing.com the default search engine during launch. This is the latest step in a series of invasive actions to get Windows users to use Bing and Edge.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 Oct 2025 |title=Windows 11’s Bing Wallpaper app opens <nowiki>Bing.com</nowiki> if you click anywhere on the desktop |url=https://www.windowslatest.com/2025/10/26/windows-11s-bing-wallpaper-app-opens-bing-com-if-you-click-anywhere-on-the-desktop/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/nQ3K5 |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=Windows Latest}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mitsubishi Motors]]
|Mitsubishi Motors has a rich history of consumer protection, compliance issues and privacy breaches. These include concealing safety defects, falsifying fuel economy data, and being fined for false advertising. Following the trend of subscription services for the automotive industry, Mitsubishi paywalls built-in features including remote start, SOS, collision detection, and car tracking through its app Mitsubishi Connect subscription service.
|[https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mitsubishi-fined-42-million-by-japans-consumer-affairs-agency-115026.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://leakd.com/leaks/mitsubishi-motors-vietnam-customer-data-breached/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Motors?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/?order=pen_year&parent=mitsubishi-motors&sort=&utm_source=chatgpt.com][https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/newsroom/newsrelease/2017/20171129_3.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
|-
|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/
|
|-
|Netgear (internet networking equipment)
|Almost every Netgear internet router requires the creation of a new account to function as a router, 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].
|[https://www.netgear.com/about/terms-and-conditions/ <nowiki>[62]</nowiki>]
[https://kb.netgear.com/000062104/What-subscription-plans-are-available-for-NETGEAR-Smart-Parental-Controls <nowiki>[63]</nowiki>]
[https://www.netgear.com/hub/author/abhorkar/ <nowiki>[64]</nowiki>]
[https://www.pcmag.com/news/tp-link-accuses-netgear-of-smear-campaign-to-advance-us-router-ban?test_uuid=04IpBmWGZleS0I0J3epvMrC&test_variant=B <nowiki>[65]</nowiki>]
|-
|Nothing
|Nothing brings home-screen ads (can be disabled manually) and [[bloatware]] to its lower end models despite previously boasting about being bloatware free
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Floemer |first=Andreas |date=2025-10-27 |title=Phone 3a: NothingOS 4.0 brings optional ads to the lock screen |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Phone-3a-NothingOS-4-0-brings-optional-ads-to-the-lock-screen-10904033.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/vATHV |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Heise Online}}</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=https://archive.ph/ZxlXG |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=2026-01-08 |website=Heise Online}}</ref>
|-
|[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}}</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}}</ref>
|-
|[[Slack]]
|Slack threatened to deactivate the Slack workspace and delete all message history of a nonprofit unless they agreed to a price hike of $200k yearly and also pay an extra $50k within a week. There were no prior warnings from Slack. A few years prior to this incident, they had agreed to migrate from the free nonprofit plan to a $5k per year plan.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-18 |title=Slack is extorting us with a $195k/yr bill increase |url=https://skyfall.dev/posts/slack |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250930075808/https://skyfall.dev/posts/slack |archive-date=2025-09-30}}</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=https://archive.ph/LvMtA |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |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}}</ref>
|-
|[[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}}</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>
|-
|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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Important pricing changes to your WHMCS owned license Mailer |url=https://www.whmcs.com/members/mailings/?k=price21-emailo}}</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.
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/C8IUW |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |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=https://archive.ph/7dEYk |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=Wireless Power Consortium}}</ref>
|-
|Wolfgang Puck Bread Makers
|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).
|
|-
|'''Arduino''' (/ɑːrˈdwiːnoʊ/) is an Italian open-source hardware and software company owned by Qualcomm
|Arduino’s new terms of service worries hobbyists ahead of Qualcomm acquisition.
User shall not:

*translate, decompile or reverse-engineer the Platform, or engage in any other activity designed to identify the algorithms and logic of the Platform’s operation, unless expressly allowed by Arduino or by applicable license agreements …
|
|-
|Xcode support dropped for older MacBooks
|Apple has discontinued support for up to date versions of Xcode iOS development on older MacBook devices (discovered on my MacBook Pro 2017, but I’m sure it applies to other old devices as well), resulting in not being able to use a perfectly capable machine for iOS app development without having to go through countless loopholes. 1) you cannot commit new updates without utilizing a third-party medium, 2) the warning and error compiler is out of date due to not being able to update to the latest version, which of course supports the latest iOS release, so you have to figure it out on your own like it’s the 80’s 3) you must commit and release a new TestFlight build (through [1] loophole) to do any testing instead of being able to simulate on your Mac or even a connected device 4) this all really stems from the fact that the new Xcode updates require the new MacOS version which is also discontinued for older MacBooks. This means 8 year old device is basically just useless for such applications.
|
|}

==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
|-
|[[SLAPP suits and legal intimidation]]
|There are increasing instances of companies using lawyers to silence product reviewers and other content creators by sending Cease & Desist letters to threaten and intimidate, and sometimes actually filing lawsuits against creators because they shared an opinion or exposed a flaw that makes the company look bad.
Rationale for inclusion on this Wiki: Honest product reviews serve to protect consumers from companies who manipulate and lie to customers about the quality, source, and real-world applicability of their products. Using lawyers to silence dissent directly hurts both content creators and consumers.
I believe Louis has covered or mentioned each of these Refs in his videos.
|<ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuDIMztL9OU}}</ref> <ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItSrtE-GHCc}}</ref> <ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcKvMuYdf4}}</ref>
|-
|Unfinished, insanely buggy games pushed for release
|Games are continually being pushed for release without having been finished and/or the major kinks ironed out. If they were an alpha/beta release it'd be understandable but no its full blown "stable" release.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Isaac |first=Mike |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=2020-12-19 |title=Cyberpunk 2077 Was Supposed to Be the Biggest Video Game of the Year. What Happened? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/style/cyberpunk-2077-video-game-disaster.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-22 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
|-
|Anti-rollback or ARB for device firmware
|most recent example being [[Oneplus phone update introduces hardware anti-rollback]] but ain't exclusive to it. Also implemented by [[Oneplus phone update introduces hardware anti-rollback#Comparison with other manufacturers|Samsung]], [https://mavicpilots.com/threads/not-be-able-to-degrade-firmfare-of-dji-mini2-from-01-06-0200.134806/#post-1518967 DJI] (link found from [[DJI]]) and likely many more.
|
|}

==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=https://archive.ph/BBj54 |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=global.apsystems.com}}</ref>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|GOG.com
|GOG provides DRM-free games that include offline backup game installers.
Through their game preservation program they help to keep older games playable on modern hardware.
|
|-
|Oral-B
|When installing the Android App, there is no login, and the user is asked for analytics tracking consent.
|
|-
|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.
|
|-
|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}}</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.
|
|-
|Concept2
|Readily provides parts and diagrams. Exists under a [https://www.concept2.com/about/perpetual-purpose-trust Perpetual Purpose Trust].
|
|}

==See Also==

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

==Reference List==
<references />
[[Category:Sources]]

Article suggestions

2026-02-03T02:39:47Z

NitezInHyperspace: /* List of incidents not yet covered */

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 ''''ctrl + shift + k'''<nowiki/>' 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]] for a good collection 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://archive.ph/3q0mg |archive-date=29 Jun 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/mjErE |archive-date=18 Jun 2025 |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|}

==List of incidents not yet covered==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[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.
|-
|Affinity / Canva
|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=https://archive.ph/dMkbz |archive-date=28 Dec 2025 |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 adds arbitration clause for future Affinity Studio users|See this article here]].
|<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />
|-
|[[Adobe]]
|Shutting Adobe Animate down due to "new platforms and paradigms emerge[ing] that better serve the needs of users..." Starting on March 1st, 2026, Animate will no longer be available for purchase. Technical support will be available for enterprise customers until March 1st, 2029, and for all other customers, until March 1st, 2027. Users will no longer be able to access their files afterwards unless exported beforehand.
|[https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/kb/end-of-life.html][https://community.adobe.com/announcements-539/adobe-animate-end-of-life-and-support-timeline-1548220][https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/02/adobe-animate-is-shutting-down-as-company-focuses-on-ai/][https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/adobe-animate-discontinued/]
|-
|Amazon
|Amazon renders Fire TV Blaster unusable, offers Amazon gift card to affected customers
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Amazon-makes-Fire-TV-Blaster-unusable-11145570.html}}</ref>
|-
|[[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://archive.ph/n5uiO |archive-date=2 Oct 2023 |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=https://archive.ph/daPkU |archive-date=20 Sep 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/BRUpE |archive-date=9 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=https://archive.ph/k04XP |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |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= |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/1qq7q9m/new_versions_of_keynote_numbers_and_pages_collect/}}</ref>
|-
|Atlassian
|Users forced from on-premise to cloud only subscriptions
Edit: Page has been started [[Atlassian on premise to subscription|here]], more work, citation, and verification needs to be done.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ascend to the cloud: The next chapter for Atlassian and our customers |url=https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/atlassian-ascend |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/1aKhy |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref>
|-
|[[Axon]]
|Tazers sold with lease agreement that makes purchase effectively a subscription.
|[https://norwoodrecord.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/4/8/114832579/norwood_record_pages_1_to_12__4sep2025.pdf <nowiki>[69]</nowiki>]
|-
|[[Bayer]]/[[Monsanto]]
|[[wikipedia:Bayer|WP:B]]/[[wikipedia:Monsanto|WP:M]]. They abuse farmers and are a risk to public health.
|
|-
|[[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.
|
|-
|[[Chat control]]
|[[wikipedia:Regulation_to_Prevent_and_Combat_Child_Sexual_Abuse|Wikipedia]]. Notice how the "official" name just specifies the "purpose" but not the what or the how
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/0eNBo |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref>
|-
|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=https://archive.ph/hclnK |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=Golem |language=de}}</ref>
|-
|Dell and HP
|HP and Dell have disabled HEVC (H.264/H.265) hardware encoding and decoding support built into their laptops’ CPUs using both Intel and AMD processors.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=2025-11-21 |title=HP and Dell disable HEVC support built into their laptops’ CPUs |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/hp-and-dell-disable-hevc-support-built-into-their-laptops-cpus/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251121083438/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/hp-and-dell-disable-hevc-support-built-into-their-laptops-cpus/ |archive-date=2025-11-21 |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|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=https://archive.ph/aumS8 |archive-date=26 Dec 2025 |website=E621}}</ref>
|-
|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=https://archive.ph/M7dfg |archive-date=4 Oct 2024 |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://archive.ph/tFdoZ |archive-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=https://archive.ph/v02cw |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</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=https://archive.ph/q13z3 |archive-date=31 Aug 2025 |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=PSA: Elegoo Centauri Carbon & GPL Compliance}}</ref>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|[[Google Chromecast]]
|Chromecast has transitioned from a standalone product to one that requires the Google Home app for setup and control. This change prevents customers who either don't own a smartphone or prefer not to use the app from accessing their Chromecast devices. As a result, certain televisions—such as the Caixon EC43S1UA, which relied on built-in Chromecast functionality—can no longer be used as intended. This effectively removes a key feature from a product that was already purchased, diminishing its value or rendering it unusable altogether.
|
|-
|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
|
|-
|Google
|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 Graphene OS, 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=https://archive.ph/XOCvC |archive-date=13 Oct 2025}}</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=https://archive.ph/wGSr6 |archive-date=21 Aug 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/LhLaf |archive-date=1 Nov 2014 |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=https://archive.ph/xDHrA |archive-date=19 Nov 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/Ta06Q |archive-date=9 Jan 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://archive.ph/DFzJ4 |archive-date=9 Jan 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=https://archive.ph/K86A2 |archive-date=2 Sep 2025 |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=The New Stack}}</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.
|
|-
|[[H&R Block]]
|Marketing paid products as free, deleting users' tax data upon downgrading to free versions, and forcing users to contact support to get access to the free version of the tax filing software. FTC alleges coercive and obstructive techniques are used to make users pay for services they don't need as well.
|
|-
|[[Hikvision]]
|Chinese surveillance camera manufacturer complicit in Uighur genocide which used to advertise recognition of praying and ramadan fasting among its selling points. Similarly to [[Flock license plate readers|Flock]], they are in use world wide and likely feed directly into the Chinese government's surveillance infrastructure and could conceivably be used to find dissidents world-wide. Recently, [https://netzpolitik.org/2025/hikvision-hersteller-der-hamburger-ki-ueberwachungskameras-ist-fuer-menschenrechtsverletzungen-bekannt/ the city of Hamburg has installed them] ([https://netzpolitik-org.translate.goog/2025/hikvision-hersteller-der-hamburger-ki-ueberwachungskameras-ist-fuer-menschenrechtsverletzungen-bekannt/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp Google Translate Version in English]).
|
|-
|[[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].
|
|-
|[[IPVideo Corporation]] (owned by [[Motorola]])
|Manufacturer of surveillance hardware. The notable example that brought them to my attention is the Halo 3C/3C-PC Smart Sensor, which is deployed in places such as school bathrooms and subsidized/social housing. This system has a variety of sensors on it, from air quality ones (for detecting smoking/vape usage) all the way to microphones (ostensibly for audio analysis to identify aggression and gunshots, without the capability to stream the audio elsewhere, but this not a limitation built into the hardware and could be changed by a firmware update).
|<ref>{{Cite_web |last=Reynaldo |last2=nyx |name-list-style=amp |date=2025-10-10 |title=DEF CON 33 - Unmasking the Snitch Puck: IoT surveillance tech in the school bathroom |url=https://youtu.be/WCnojaEpF2I |publisher=DEF CON}}</ref><ref>{{Cite_web |access-date=2025-10-26 |url=https://www.pelco.com/sensors |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250922000017/https://www.pelco.com/sensors |archive-date=2025-09-22 |title=HALO Smart Sensor Suite |website=PELCO}}</ref>
|-
|[[iRacing]]
|iRacing is a racing game that's subscription-based, requiring payment just to play the actual game in either online or offline mode.
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/C7iZH |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</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=https://archive.ph/AqwPB |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</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=https://archive.ph/Xm44R |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref>
|-
|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= |first=Fight for the Future |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 & Odysseys 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=https://archive.ph/SUzBN |archive-date=4 Sep 2019 |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=https://archive.ph/CL4UK |archive-date=28 Jun 2024 |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 |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 |via=IEEE Xplore}}</ref>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/n6mTn |archive-date=7 Aug 2025 |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=https://archive.ph/eGh91 |archive-date=5 Aug 2025 |access-date=15 Sep 2025 |website=Lowe's}}</ref>
|-
|McDonald's/Taylor
|McDonald's US mandates which ice cream machine has to be used by franchise licensees. The company that makes these machines uses deliberately obfuscated error codes to force restaurant owners to use their expensive tech service to fix them and reset the machines. The company makes more money from these "repairs" support than with actual sales. Not strictly end consumer, but the pattern warrants documenting imo.
A similar problem exists with Doremi (Dolby) cinema projectors where their DRM leads to a ridiculous number of actions breaking the so-called "marriage" (projector-media block unity), requiring a costly technician to reset it. This one needs sources researched, though, as I don't have one on hand.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why McDonald's Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken and How To Fix Them |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uCpY3tFTIA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IaCBe |archive-date=29 Aug 2023}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[Facebook]], [[Yandex]]
|Automatic opt-in of user-generated content being used for the purposes of training AI.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Borgesius |first=Frederik |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Post on akademienl.social |url=https://akademienl.social/@Frederik_Borgesius/114392662340468118 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/vubno |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=akademienl.social}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=AP: kom nu in actie als je niet wil dat Meta AI traint met jouw data |url=https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-kom-nu-in-actie-als-je-niet-wil-dat-meta-ai-traint-met-jouw-data |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/ekCRd |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[Instagram]]/[[Meta|Facebook]]
|If a user is detected to having suspicious activity, their account will be locked until they send selfie verification. This is said to be done in order to detect robots, minors, or accounts no longer controlled by its original owner. During selfie verification, the user will be instructed to slowly turn their head for the camera. The data may be sent to a third party to estimate the users age, scanned for the liveliness and biometrics, or compared to the users profile picture depending on the suspected issue. The data will be deleted once examined, which may take around a minute. Users have raised concerns on the privacy, safety, and honesty of the cooperations actions.
|[https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/1jcrhnb/comment/mrsbzlp/?force-legacy-sct=1]
[https://help.instagram.com/1053588012132894]
[https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-looks-to-expand-video-selfie-age-checking-abide-by-new-laws/753281/]
[https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/10/upload-a-video-selfie-to-get-your-facebook-or-instagram-account-back]
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[WhatsApp]]
|In a new lawsuit, an ex-engineer alleges that 1500 engineers had unrestricted access to WhatsApp user data and that the company "failed to remedy the hacking and takeover of more than 100,000 accounts each day, ignoring his pleas and proposed fixes and choosing instead to prioritize user growth". (ongoing)
|[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/08/meta-user-data-lawsuit-whatsapp]
|-
|[[Meta]]/[[WhatsApp]]
|Lawsuite citing whistleblower alledges that Meta can read WhatsApp conversation despite claiming otherwise, response from Meta only states communication is end-to-end encrypted, but this does not explicitly exclude the possibility of Meta exfiltrating conversations at the endpoints and sending copies to Meta or anyone else.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url= |archive-url=https://archive.ph/e47Rb}}</ref>
|-
|[[Meta]]
|A Reuters article revealed that Meta deliberately avoided cracking down on fraudulent ads, even going as far as disbanding the relevant team, because they make a substantial amount of money from said ads (10.1% of its revenue).
|[https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06/]
|-
|[[Microsoft]]
|Microsoft uses software engineers based in China to work on US Defense Department systems with laughably ineffective precautions. I think this is relevant in the context of Microsoft's attitude towards cloud security. In the past, master keys have been stolen by Chinese hackers and from my understanding, it's not even clear to what extent those groups still have access to Microsoft's internal systems, and by extension, Microsoft customers'. This needs more research though.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dudley |first=Renee |date=2025-07-15 |title=A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-digital-escorts-pentagon-defense-department-china-hackers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/nbGhM |archive-date=1 Aug 2025 |website=ProRepublica}}</ref>
|-
|[[Microsoft Windows 11]]
|The Windows 11 Bing Wallpaper app, which offers regularly changing desktop wallpapers, opens bing.com at every single click onto the desktop and tries to make bing.com the default search engine during launch. This is the latest step in a series of invasive actions to get Windows users to use Bing and Edge.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 Oct 2025 |title=Windows 11’s Bing Wallpaper app opens <nowiki>Bing.com</nowiki> if you click anywhere on the desktop |url=https://www.windowslatest.com/2025/10/26/windows-11s-bing-wallpaper-app-opens-bing-com-if-you-click-anywhere-on-the-desktop/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/nQ3K5 |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=Windows Latest}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mitsubishi Motors]]
|Mitsubishi Motors has a rich history of consumer protection, compliance issues and privacy breaches. These include concealing safety defects, falsifying fuel economy data, and being fined for false advertising. Following the trend of subscription services for the automotive industry, Mitsubishi paywalls built-in features including remote start, SOS, collision detection, and car tracking through its app Mitsubishi Connect subscription service.
|[https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mitsubishi-fined-42-million-by-japans-consumer-affairs-agency-115026.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://leakd.com/leaks/mitsubishi-motors-vietnam-customer-data-breached/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Motors?utm_source=chatgpt.com] [https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/?order=pen_year&parent=mitsubishi-motors&sort=&utm_source=chatgpt.com][https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/newsroom/newsrelease/2017/20171129_3.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
|-
|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/
|
|-
|Netgear (internet networking equipment)
|Almost every Netgear internet router requires the creation of a new account to function as a router, 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].
|[https://www.netgear.com/about/terms-and-conditions/ <nowiki>[62]</nowiki>]
[https://kb.netgear.com/000062104/What-subscription-plans-are-available-for-NETGEAR-Smart-Parental-Controls <nowiki>[63]</nowiki>]
[https://www.netgear.com/hub/author/abhorkar/ <nowiki>[64]</nowiki>]
[https://www.pcmag.com/news/tp-link-accuses-netgear-of-smear-campaign-to-advance-us-router-ban?test_uuid=04IpBmWGZleS0I0J3epvMrC&test_variant=B <nowiki>[65]</nowiki>]
|-
|Nothing
|Nothing brings home-screen ads (can be disabled manually) and [[bloatware]] to its lower end models despite previously boasting about being bloatware free
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Floemer |first=Andreas |date=2025-10-27 |title=Phone 3a: NothingOS 4.0 brings optional ads to the lock screen |url=https://www.heise.de/en/news/Phone-3a-NothingOS-4-0-brings-optional-ads-to-the-lock-screen-10904033.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/vATHV |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Heise Online}}</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=https://archive.ph/ZxlXG |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |access-date=2026-01-08 |website=Heise Online}}</ref>
|-
|[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}}</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}}</ref>
|-
|[[Slack]]
|Slack threatened to deactivate the Slack workspace and delete all message history of a nonprofit unless they agreed to a price hike of $200k yearly and also pay an extra $50k within a week. There were no prior warnings from Slack. A few years prior to this incident, they had agreed to migrate from the free nonprofit plan to a $5k per year plan.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-18 |title=Slack is extorting us with a $195k/yr bill increase |url=https://skyfall.dev/posts/slack |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250930075808/https://skyfall.dev/posts/slack |archive-date=2025-09-30}}</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=https://archive.ph/LvMtA |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |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}}</ref>
|-
|[[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}}</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>
|-
|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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Important pricing changes to your WHMCS owned license Mailer |url=https://www.whmcs.com/members/mailings/?k=price21-emailo}}</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.
|
|-
|[[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=https://archive.ph/C8IUW |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |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=https://archive.ph/7dEYk |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=Wireless Power Consortium}}</ref>
|-
|Wolfgang Puck Bread Makers
|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).
|
|-
|'''Arduino''' (/ɑːrˈdwiːnoʊ/) is an Italian open-source hardware and software company owned by Qualcomm
|Arduino’s new terms of service worries hobbyists ahead of Qualcomm acquisition.
User shall not:

*translate, decompile or reverse-engineer the Platform, or engage in any other activity designed to identify the algorithms and logic of the Platform’s operation, unless expressly allowed by Arduino or by applicable license agreements …
|
|-
|Xcode support dropped for older MacBooks
|Apple has discontinued support for up to date versions of Xcode iOS development on older MacBook devices (discovered on my MacBook Pro 2017, but I’m sure it applies to other old devices as well), resulting in not being able to use a perfectly capable machine for iOS app development without having to go through countless loopholes. 1) you cannot commit new updates without utilizing a third-party medium, 2) the warning and error compiler is out of date due to not being able to update to the latest version, which of course supports the latest iOS release, so you have to figure it out on your own like it’s the 80’s 3) you must commit and release a new TestFlight build (through [1] loophole) to do any testing instead of being able to simulate on your Mac or even a connected device 4) this all really stems from the fact that the new Xcode updates require the new MacOS version which is also discontinued for older MacBooks. This means 8 year old device is basically just useless for such applications.
|
|}

==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
|-
|[[SLAPP suits and legal intimidation]]
|There are increasing instances of companies using lawyers to silence product reviewers and other content creators by sending Cease & Desist letters to threaten and intimidate, and sometimes actually filing lawsuits against creators because they shared an opinion or exposed a flaw that makes the company look bad.
Rationale for inclusion on this Wiki: Honest product reviews serve to protect consumers from companies who manipulate and lie to customers about the quality, source, and real-world applicability of their products. Using lawyers to silence dissent directly hurts both content creators and consumers.
I believe Louis has covered or mentioned each of these Refs in his videos.
|<ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuDIMztL9OU}}</ref> <ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItSrtE-GHCc}}</ref> <ref>{{cite_web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcKvMuYdf4}}</ref>
|-
|Unfinished, insanely buggy games pushed for release
|Games are continually being pushed for release without having been finished and/or the major kinks ironed out. If they were an alpha/beta release it'd be understandable but no its full blown "stable" release.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Isaac |first=Mike |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=2020-12-19 |title=Cyberpunk 2077 Was Supposed to Be the Biggest Video Game of the Year. What Happened? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/style/cyberpunk-2077-video-game-disaster.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-22 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
|-
|Anti-rollback or ARB for device firmware
|most recent example being [[Oneplus phone update introduces hardware anti-rollback]] but ain't exclusive to it. Also implemented by [[Oneplus phone update introduces hardware anti-rollback#Comparison with other manufacturers|Samsung]], [https://mavicpilots.com/threads/not-be-able-to-degrade-firmfare-of-dji-mini2-from-01-06-0200.134806/#post-1518967 DJI] (link found from [[DJI]]) and likely many more.
|
|}

==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=https://archive.ph/BBj54 |archive-date=9 Jan 2026 |website=global.apsystems.com}}</ref>
|-
|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.
|
|-
|GOG.com
|GOG provides DRM-free games that include offline backup game installers.
Through their game preservation program they help to keep older games playable on modern hardware.
|
|-
|Oral-B
|When installing the Android App, there is no login, and the user is asked for analytics tracking consent.
|
|-
|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.
|
|-
|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}}</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.
|
|-
|Concept2
|Readily provides parts and diagrams. Exists under a [https://www.concept2.com/about/perpetual-purpose-trust Perpetual Purpose Trust].
|
|}

==See Also==

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

==Reference List==
<references />
[[Category:Sources]]