Automotive digital restrictions management: Difference between revisions
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'''Digital restrictions management (DRM)''' in automotives is a practice in which automotive manufacturers restrict some of the functionalities of their products by using software to render them inaccessible until the user pays an additional fee, which may be a recurring subscription. | '''Digital restrictions management (DRM)''' in automotives is a practice in which automotive manufacturers restrict some of the functionalities of their products by using software to render them inaccessible until the user pays an additional fee, which may be a recurring subscription. | ||
Revision as of 02:13, 21 August 2025
Digital restrictions management (DRM) in automotives is a practice in which automotive manufacturers restrict some of the functionalities of their products by using software to render them inaccessible until the user pays an additional fee, which may be a recurring subscription.
How it works
Automotive manufacturers produce their automotives to include hardware that supports specific functionality, but program the automotive to prohibit the user from accessing that functionality unless the user has paid an additional fee. Users' attempts to bypass these restrictions may then be legally disputed or even face criminal charges.
Why it is a problem
Undermines ownership rights
A consumer purchasing an automotive can reasonably expect to then own and hold rights to the engine, suspension, and windows of that automotive. DRM effectively blocks the consumer from accessing parts of their own property. This calls into question whether the consumer truly owns the product they purchased.
Rent-seeking
Per Wikipedia, rent-seeking is "the act of growing one's existing wealth by manipulating public policy or economic conditions without creating new wealth".[1] Automotive manufacturers expend the same costs to produce their automotives, regardless of whether consumers pay for the additional features or not. Consumers also officially own the systems that enable these features, regardless of whether they pay to use them or not. As a result, automotive manufacturers aim to use DRM to generate additional profits without truly giving the consumer anything that they did not already own.
Examples
Some examples of automotive DRM include:
- BMW's heated seat and steering wheel subscription in the United Kingdom[2][3]
- Mercedes-Benz EQS's rear-wheel steering subscription in Germany[4]
- Mercedes-Benz's acceleration increase subscriptions for the EQE and EQS models in the United States[5]
- Audi's tri-zone climate control subscription[6]
- General Motors' mandatory remote start and connectivity subscriptions for Buick, GMC, and Cadillac[7]
- Ford's hands-free steering and lane-change assistance subscription[8][9]
- Tesla Model 3's rear-heated seat subscription[10][11]
- Tesla's acceleration boost feature[12][13]
- Tesla Model Y RWD's battery capacity expansion[14]
- Tesla's Full Self-Driving subscriptions[15]
References
- ↑ "Rent-seeking". Wikipedia. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Potts, Greg (14 Jul 2022). "BMW launches heated seat and steering wheel subscription service in the UK". Top Gear. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Valdez-Dapena, Peter (3 Jul 2020). "Want a heated steering wheel in your BMW? You'll be able to download one via subscription". CNN Business. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Tsui, Chris (26 Jul 2021). "Full Rear-Wheel Steering on Mercedes EQS Will Be $575 Annual Subscription in Germany: Report". The Drive. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Mercedes-Benz USA Announces Performance Acceleration On-Demand Upgrade for EQE and EQS Customers". Mercedes-Benz Media Newsroom USA. 26 Apr 2023. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Stumpf, Rob (1 Apr 2022). "Audi Owner Finds Basic HVAC Function Paywalled After Pressing the Button for It". The Drive. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
- ↑ Valdez-Dapena, Peter (10 Aug 2022). "A $1,500 'option' is now mandatory on GMC, Buick, and sokme Cadillac models". CNN Business. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Seabaugh, Christian (23 May 2023). "2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Yearlong Review: $650/Year to Subscribe to What?". MotorTrend. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Palmer, Zac (2 Oct 2024). "Ford's BlueCruise Driving Aid Now Available As One-Time Purchase". Road & Track. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Lambert, Fred (15 Feb 2020). "Tesla starts selling rear-heated seats on Model 3 SR and SR Plus as $300 OTA upgrade". Electrek. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Klender, Joey (15 Feb 2020). "Tesla unlocks rear heated seats for Model 3 SR and SR Plus as paid OTA upgrade". Teslarati. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Alvarez, Simon (5 May 2025). "Tesla releases paid performance upgrade for new Model Y". Teslarati. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Ali, Iqtidar (2 Jun 2025). "Tesla offers acceleration boost upgrade for the new Model Y". EVANNEX. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Poultney, Leon (7 May 2024). "Want more range on your Tesla Model Y? You might have to pay extra to unlock it". TechRadar. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Subscriptions". Tesla Support. Retrieved 20 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)