KingSong

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KingSong

Basic information
Founded	2012
Legal Structure	Private
Industry	Personal Electric Vehicles
Official website	https://kingsong.com/

KingSong, a manufacturer of electric unicycles, has been the subject of multiple consumer rights concerns. These issues include the use of software to restrict user freedom and product ownership, notably through mandatory app-based activation that can remotely disable devices. Additionally, the company's mobile application has faced criticism for its privacy practices, with reports of it requiring invasive permissions to function. Furthermore, King Song has been linked to product safety issues after a U.S. government agency issued a warning about a fire hazard with one of its models, which the company reportedly refused to recall.

Consumer-impact summary

User Privacy: Customers are forced to download the app in order to use their product, which collects extensive and unnecessary data.

Business Model: Products are software-locked and geo-fenced to prevent grey market sales.

Incidents

Unnecessary Permissions

The King Song app demonstrates a significant privacy invasion issue. On Android devices, the app reportedly demands an extensive list of intrusive permissions—including access to phone calls, media, and the ability to record audio and video—and will not function if these are denied. This effectively coerces Android users into granting broad and unnecessary access to their personal data and device functions.

The reality for Android users is a forced choice between using the product and surrendering their data, which fundamentally undermines user.

This strict moderation and oversight explain why the iOS version of the King Song app appears to be far less invasive. Apple's review process acts as a gatekeeper, preventing developers from publishing apps that engage in the kind of overreaching data practices reported on the Android version. Apple's policies require developers to: Request only necessary permissions, Be transparent, Avoid coerced consent.

Ransomware practice: Coercion to download the app to use the product

The King Song business model requires new electric unicycles to be activated via the official King Song mobile application. This process is mandatory and often includes a "beginner mode" that limits the wheel's performance until a certain distance has been ridden or the mode is deactivated through the app. The requirement to use the app for initial setup and full functionality has been a source of significant frustration for consumers. User reports describe instances where a failure to connect or register with the app, often due to an IP address that doesn't match the wheel's intended market, leaves the user with a non-functional device—a "beeping brick"

This practice represents a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) that extends beyond software and into physical hardware. A consumer who has fully paid for a physical product is unable to use it as intended without complying with the manufacturer's software and connectivity requirements. This holds the product's full functionality in a state of digital "hostage," which challenges the foundational principle of consumer ownership. It also raises questions about the consumer's ability to repair and maintain their device independently. The fact that a failed firmware update can potentially "brick" the Battery Management System (BMS) of a wheel further illustrates the potential for a device to be rendered useless by a manufacturer-controlled software error, highlighting a significant constraint on user freedom and the right to repair.

The Digital Wall

The company's use of software-based controls to enforce market segmentation and prevent "grey market" price erosion creates a digital wall that fundamentally alters the nature of product ownership. The ability of the manufacturer to remotely disable a product that has been paid for and sold to a consumer challenges a fundamental legal concept in many jurisdictions: the "first-sale doctrine." This principle holds that once a copyright owner sells a copy of their work, they lose the right to control its subsequent distribution. In this context, the manufacturer's ability to "brick" a product after the sale is complete is seen by many in the community as a violation of property rights. 

While King Song's policy is intended to protect its business interests, the method of enforcement places the burden on the end consumer, who may be an uninformed party in the complexities of the global supply chain. Community members have argued that a more appropriate business practice would be to deny warranty or service for grey market wheels, rather than remotely disabling the device itself, a method they deem "unacceptable" and "not even legal". ² This practice turns a consumer's one-time purchase into a product with a built-in, manufacturer-controlled kill switch, which is a significant departure from traditional models of ownership.

Remote Locking and Geo-Fencing

As a policy to combat "grey market" imports, King Song implemented a region-locking mechanism that requires the official app for new wheel "activation." Wheels intended for the Chinese domestic market are remotely disabled or "bricked" if an attempt is made to connect them with the app from an international IP address. This policy has left consumers who unknowingly purchased these wheels from unofficial resellers with non-functional devices, sparking outrage within the community.

• 
  Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.
• 
  Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.

See also

• Forced app download
• Insta360