Mission statement: Difference between revisions

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Today's consumers face different forms of exploitation that strike at the heart of what it means to ''own'' something, and are deliberately designed to be difficult to understand or resist. Above all, unlike the issues above, these issues are ''not even illegal''.

Modern businesses have ~~mastered~~ the art of ~~silent~~ control. They ~~can~~:

Modern businesses have perfected the art of subtle control. They are able to:

# Remotely ~~disable~~ products you ~~“own” through~~ cloud services.

# Remotely deactivate products you "own" via cloud services.

# ~~Collect~~ personal data without ~~meaningful~~ disclosure & sell ~~that data to others~~ without ~~legitimate~~ consent.

# Alter a purchased item into a significantly different version after the sale.

# ~~Prevent you from canceling their services~~ by ~~creating~~ systems where signing up ~~takes one~~ click, but canceling ~~requires~~ navigating ~~an obstacle course~~ of sending certified mail and endless phone ~~trees~~.

# Gather personal data without adequate disclosure and sell it without proper consent.

# ~~Redefine~~ the ~~meaning~~ of ~~the word “purchase”~~ and ~~“own” on page 21 of~~ an end user license agreement, ~~creating~~ legal ~~justification for removing~~ items you have ~~“purchased” in~~ your library.

# Hinder service cancellation by designing systems where signing up is a single click, but canceling involves navigating a complex process of sending certified mail and enduring endless phone menus.

# ~~Create wilful barriers towards~~ repair, ~~leaving~~ otherwise functional devices to ~~die~~.

# Change the definitions of "purchase" and "own" deep within an end user license agreement, providing legal grounds to remove items you have "purchased" from your library.

# ~~Manipulate~~ you into forced arbitration by sending ~~you~~ an email and ~~pretending~~ that not ~~replying to this email constitutes~~ agreement to a new terms of service.

# Intentionally create obstacles to repair, causing otherwise functional devices to become unusable.

# Coerce you into forced arbitration by sending an email and assuming that not responding signifies agreement to new terms of service.

"Old" style consumer protection covers exposing and pursuing companies that break '''existing''' laws. Modern consumer protection efforts exist and are distinct, because '''the consumer protection laws that currently exist are not fit for purpose'''. Companies are able to exploit legal loopholes, or legally dubious strategies that are not met with meaningful consequences, to trap their customers in unfavorable positions. They rely on complexity & fatigue to prevent resistance.

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 Today's consumers face different forms of exploitation that strike at the heart of what it means to ''own'' something, and are deliberately designed to be difficult to understand or resist. Above all, unlike the issues above, these issues are ''not even illegal''.
-Modern businesses have mastered the art of silent control. They can:
+Modern businesses have perfected the art of subtle control. They are able to:
-# Remotely disable products you “own” through cloud services.
+# Remotely deactivate products you "own" via cloud services.
-# Collect personal data without meaningful disclosure & sell that data to others without legitimate consent.
+# Alter a purchased item into a significantly different version after the sale.
-# Prevent you from canceling their services by creating systems where signing up takes one click, but canceling requires navigating an obstacle course of sending certified mail and endless phone trees.
+# Gather personal data without adequate disclosure and sell it without proper consent.
-# Redefine the meaning of the word “purchase” and “own” on page 21 of an end user license agreement, creating legal justification for removing items you have “purchased” in your library.
+# Hinder service cancellation by designing systems where signing up is a single click, but canceling involves navigating a complex process of sending certified mail and enduring endless phone menus.
-# Create wilful barriers towards repair, leaving otherwise functional devices to die.
+# Change the definitions of "purchase" and "own" deep within an end user license agreement, providing legal grounds to remove items you have "purchased" from your library.
-# Manipulate you into forced arbitration by sending you an email and pretending that not replying to this email constitutes agreement to a new terms of service.
+# Intentionally create obstacles to repair, causing otherwise functional devices to become unusable.
+# Coerce you into forced arbitration by sending an email and assuming that not responding signifies agreement to new terms of service.
 "Old" style consumer protection covers exposing and pursuing companies that break '''existing''' laws. Modern consumer protection efforts exist and are distinct, because '''the consumer protection laws that currently exist are not fit for purpose'''. Companies are able to exploit legal loopholes, or legally dubious strategies that are not met with meaningful consequences, to trap their customers in unfavorable positions. They rely on complexity & fatigue to prevent resistance.