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| {{StubNotice}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Software-gating]] |
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| As a softer version to [[activation]], and related to [[features on demand]], '''software-gating''' is a method to control access to ''features'' in consumer electronic hardware, but are not inherently anti-consumer as they provide useful for security features.
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| This definition does not include closed-source, such as [[wikipedia:Proprietary_software|proprietary software]] or [[wikipedia:Proprietary_protocol|proprietary protocols]], as these can still provide the consumer with fully featured access without needing an account, app, or activation.
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| See also
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| * [[Digital rights management]]
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| ==Anti-consumer examples==
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| ===Forced account for data lock-in===
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| [[Forced account|Requiring an account]] in order to be used, such as with some Google Pixels and specific Android devices, and iPhones needing an Apple account create an easy entry-point for [[data lock-in]], making it harder to switch vendors.{{Citation needed|date=31 Mar 2026}}
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| === Forced app download ===
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| ''Apps'' are a popular method for manufacturers to marketed features behind software locks. Examples of this are:
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| * Sony headphones requiring app to tweak its EQ
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| * HVAC app activation of furnace control boards.{{Citation needed|date=31 Mar 2026}}
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| === Activation & licensing ===
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| When features are locked behind an activation process, it will require server connectivity. Some implications of this include:
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| * Cloud services that are essential to keep the features working can be put offline
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| * The digital services can change in quality or become more privacy invasive over time
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| == See also ==
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| * [[Digital rights management]]
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| * [[Walled garden]]
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| * [[Bootloader unlocking]]
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| [[Category:Common terms]]
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| [[Category:Software]]
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