Consumer_Action_Taskforce

Discontinuation bricking: Difference between revisions

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'''Discontinuation bricking''' occurs when a product is "bricked" -- no longer functional -- because the producer has discontinued it. Discontinuation bricking almost exclusively occurs in products that require a connection to a remote server hosted by the producer. The product may become bricked if the company decided to shut down services or go out of business entirely. Discontinuation bricking is a significant harm to consumer rights.
'''Discontinuation bricking''' occurs when a product is renderered no longer functional ("bricked") because the manufacturer has decided to discontinue it. Discontinuation bricking almost exclusively occurs in products that require a connection to a remote server hosted by the producer. The product may become bricked if the company decides to shut down services or if the company goes out of business entirely, while not allowing the consumer to substiture those services with alternative and/or [[self-hosted]] solutions. End-of-life for a produt does not require the product be bricked.


==Symptoms of discontinuation bricking==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="margin: auto;
Discontinuation bricking is usually an unintended consequence of some remote service shutting down that the product depends on for complete functionality. The risk of discontinuation bricking occurring can be detected beforehand by observing its symptoms:
|+ End-of-Life compared to bricking
!
!EOL
!Soft brick
!Discontinuation bricking
|-
|Device boots
|yes
|yes
|sometimes
|-
|Basic functionality
|yes
|sometimes
|no
|-
|Software updates
|sometimes
|no
|no
|}<!-- Please expand chart  -->


#'''Product requires an internet connection to a remote server''' - if a product requires connection to a remote server for functionality there is a risk that the company may shut down the server and brick some function if not all functions of the product. These connections may be necessary because:
##'''Product requires remote authorization''' - product only works if you can receive authorization from an authorization server. If the authorization server shuts down login will become impossible. An unusual example being the Spotify Car Thing which stopped functioning after Spotify unauthorized the Car Thing from interacting with the Spotify App API
##'''Product has features dependent on remote sources''' - product may brick if it is unable to access remote information because of server outages.
#'''Product depends on a phone application to work''' - updates to the app may remove support for discontinued product. An example being the [[Spotify Car Thing]] which stopped functioning after Spotify unauthorized the Car Thing from interacting with the Spotify App API<ref>[https://www.motortrend.com/news/spotify-car-thing-music-streaming-device-discontinued/ "Spotify's Oddball In-Car Music Device Is Getting Bricked. Turns Out There's an App For That."] - motortrend.com - accessed 2025-01-25</ref>
#'''Product requires physical input on a regular basis''' - As an example, an electric fridge will brick if the electricity goes out; however, this is more of a large systematic societal problem than a consumer protection issue. A more realistic situation is with [[HP Inc.]] printer ink [[Digital rights management|DRM]] that forces consumers to use HP ink. If HP goes out of business or decides to stop producing its ink any printer depending solely upon it will become bricked, '''effectively discontinuing the printer''' even if not explicitly stated.


==How discontinuation bricking impacts consumer rights==
Discontinuation bricking has real benefit to the consumer in that it can only harm the consumer by making a product they paid for stop functioning, it has much the same harms to consumer rights as does [[planned obsolescence]].


===Production of unnecessary waste===
==Impact to consumer rights==
Discontinuation bricking will inevitably generate waste given that the product is no longer useful, consumers will choose to discard the product. Its important to note that the producer of the product is to blame for this waste and not the consumer. Ironically, many companies that claim to be "sustainable" will brick devices when the product is no longer profitable.
Discontinuation bricking, similarly to [[planned obsolescence]], harms the consumer by making a product they paid for stop functioning, resulting to loss of ownership of said product, as functionality is stripped from it.


===Loss of [[Right to own|ownership]]===
===Dependence on third-party bypasses===
Discontinuation bricking and the possibility that a product may brick itself in the future due to discontinuation directly harms the ability for a consumer to own their product. A consumer does not truly own their product if it risks being bricked.
After a product has been bricked, a consumer may wish to repair their product and return it back to a functioning state. De-bricking a product is not impossible but can be difficult depending on the severity of the problem. Consumers will inevitably look to third-parties for methods to bypass the bricking which may open the user to [[security]] and [[safety]] risks. Bypasses may end up being expensive, with more complicated server-dependent products needing potentially complicated server infrastructure.
 
===Resale falsification===
Products are often resold on the internet, and may be put on sale before a discontinuation bricking occurs with valid information but become invalidated afterwards causing [[false advertising]]. This has many implications:
 
#Sellers may be completely unaware of the discontinuation bricking and will continue selling their product, hurting seller reputation once the product becomes bricked and no longer functions afterwards.
#Buyers may be completely unaware of the discontinuation bricking and will buy the product, only to have it not function and harming the buyer.
#Customers may learn about the discontinuation and decide to sell the product without providing adequate details, even without any malicious intent.
 
==Environmental impact==
Discontinuation bricking will inevitably generate waste given that the product is no longer functional, and consumers will be forced to discard the product.
 
==Warning signs of discontinuation bricking==
Discontinuation bricking is usually a consequence of a remote service shutting down that the product depends on for complete functionality. The risk of discontinuation bricking occurring can be assessed beforehand by observing warning signs, such as:
 
<ol>
<li>'''Product requires an internet connection to a remote server:'''</li>if a product requires connection to a remote server for functionality, there is a risk that the company may shut down the server and brick some function, if not all functions of the product. These connections may be necessary because:
<ul>
<li>'''Product requires remote authorization:'''</li> product only works if you can receive authorization from an authorization server. If the authorization server shuts down, login will become impossible. An unusual example being the Spotify Car Thing which stopped functioning after Spotify unauthorized the Car Thing from interacting with the Spotify App API.
<li>'''Product has features dependent on remote sources:'''</li> product may brick if it is unable to access remote information because of server outages.
</ul>


===Dependence on third-party bypasses===
<li>'''Product depends on a phone application to work:'''</li> updates to the app may remove support for the discontinued product. An example being the [[Spotify Car Thing]] which stopped functioning after Spotify unauthorized the Car Thing from interacting with the Spotify App API.<ref>[https://www.motortrend.com/news/spotify-car-thing-music-streaming-device-discontinued/ "Spotify's Oddball In-Car Music Device Is Getting Bricked. Turns Out There's an App For That."] - motortrend.com - accessed 2025-01-25</ref><!-- Maybe include a different example here? It feels a bit redundant considering this was the example for the previous point. --><!-- To be fair we may be better of just merging 1 and 2 and expanding upon 1, there's nearly no difference as the product and app go hand-in-hand -->
After a product has been bricked a consumer may wish to repair their product and return it to a functioning state. De-bricking a product is not impossible but can be difficult depending on the severity of the problem. Consumers will inevitably look to third-parties for methods to bypass the bricking which may open the user to [[security]] and [[safety]] risks. Bypasses may end up being expensive, with more complicated server-dependent products needing potentially complicated server infrastructure.
<li>'''Product requires physical input on a regular basis:'''</li> as an example, [[HP Inc.]] printer ink has a [[Digital rights management|DRM]] that forces consumers to exclusively use HP ink, and does not allow third-party cartridges. If HP goes out of business or decides to stop producing their ink cartridges, any printer depending upon it will become bricked, effectively discontinuing the printer even if not explicitly stated.</li>
</ol>
== Examples ==
[[Spotify Car Thing]]
 
[[Sonos]]
 
[[wikipedia:Orphaned_technology|Orphaned technology]] on wikipedia.org
 
[[Logitech Harmony Link hub]]<ref>https://support.logi.com/hc/en-us#!?return_to=%2Fhc%2Fen-us%23!%2Fs%2Fquestion%2F0D55A0000745EkC%2Fharmony-link-eos-or-eol</ref><ref>https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/11/8/16623076/logitech-harmony-link-discontinued-bricked</ref>


===Methods to avoid discontinuation bricking===
[[Nest Revolv Hub]]<ref>https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/nest-reminds-customers-ownership-isnt-what-it-used-be</ref><ref>https://www.zdnet.com/article/revolv-is-dead-google-killed-it-long-live-innovation/</ref>


#'''Avoid internet and smart products''' - if it has to connect to an external server to work the product is vulnerable to being bricked.
[[Astro Amazons security robot|Astro Amazons security robot.]]<ref>https://www.inc.com/amazon-bricking-its-astro-for-business-robots.html</ref> <ref>https://press.aboutamazon.com/2023/11/introducing-astro-for-business-a-customizable-security-solution-bringing-peace-of-mind-to-owners-of-small-and-medium-sized-businesses</ref>
#'''Use [[Open source|open source/schematic]] products''' - open source/schematic products are inherently resistant to discontinuation bricking as the consumer is typically given everything they need to resolve outages themselves.
#'''Buy products that contractually guarantee source/schematic release on discontinuation''' - all companies should have an obligation to provide schematic and source code to the general public if they decide to discontinue a product such that consumers are able to maintain their products without dependence on the company, unfortunately this is not legally enforced by most countries. If a company decides to include legally binding agreement to provide source and schematics this is a green flag that they are willing to accept blame for discontinuation bricking and take action to alleviate it.


==Examples==
== Also see ==


* [[Spotify Car Thing]]
* '''[[Planned obsolescence]]'''
* '''[[Software degradation and lock-out]]'''
* [[End of life product|EOL - end-of-life product]]
*


==References==
==References==
[[Category:Anti-Consumer_Practices]]
[[Category:Common terms]]
[[Category:Common terms]]
[[Category:Articles in need of additional work]]
[[Category:Articles in need of additional work]]
[[Category:Articles under development]]
[[Category:Articles under development]]
<references />
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