Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Cisco Systems, Inc.

2025-08-28T00:15:17Z

King icebear: Linked Cisco Smart Licensing page in the Company issues section

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Public
| Founded =December 10, 1984; in San Francisco, California, U.S.
| Industry =Networking hardware
Networking software
| Official Website =cisco.com
| Logo =Cisco logo blue 2016.svg.png
}}'''[[wikipedia:Cisco|Cisco Systems, Inc.]]''' is an American multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment and other high-technology services and products.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=FORM 10-K |url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/419/0001193125-12-388590.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025}}</ref>

Cisco's founders were crucial to many of modern day implementations and protocols of Local Area Network systems we have today.

==Consumer-impact summary==

==='''Company Issues'''===

====Business model====

=====Cisco Meraki=====
Meraki is a cloud managed IT infrastructure division of Cisco acquired in 2012. Cisco Meraki devices include network firewalls, switching, wireless access points and security cameras all managed from their online web portal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=18 Nov 2012 |title=Cisco Acquires Enterprise Wi-Fi Startup Meraki For $1.2 Billion In Cash |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/18/cisco-acquires-enterprise-wi-fi-startup-meraki-for-1-2-billion-in-cash/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref>

All Cisco Meraki devices require paid licensing to work and are very strict if this becomes out of compliance. Failure to obtain proper licensing will not only remove your access from configuring your equipment in the portal, it will cease all internet traffic from moving on previously working devices.

"What happens when I reach my co-termination date?

Immediately after reaching your co-termination date, you will receive a 30-day grace period ... If you chose not to renew before the end of the 30-day grace period, the organization will be "shut down"(License Problem - Out of Compliance). You will no longer be able to manage your devices via the Meraki cloud and your Meraki network devices will cease to function. This means that you will no longer be able to configure or make changes to your Meraki network equipment, and your Meraki network products will no longer allow traffic to pass to the Internet."<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Jan 2025 |title=Meraki Licensing FAQs |url=https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Meraki_Licensing_FAQs |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025 |website=Meraki}}</ref>

==== [[Cisco Smart Licensing]] ====

====Complicit in implementing state-operated internet censorship in the People's Republic of China====
According to internal PowerPoint presentations from 2002 that surfaced online, Cisco systems knowingly supplied hardware used in China's ''Golden Shield'' project, informally known as The Great Firewall of China. This is the infrastructure used by the CCP to heavily censor the internet in China for its citizens and to block access to independent information.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bort |first=Julie |date=2011-05-23 |title=Cisco sued over its alleged part in Great Chinese Firewall scandal |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/753194/cisco-subnet-cisco-sued-over-its-alleged-part-in-great-chinese-firewall-scandal.html |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Networkworld}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9948331-7.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Articles in need of additional work]]

VMware

2025-08-28T00:11:15Z

King icebear: Added links to parent company Broadcom

{{Stub}}
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Subsidiary
| Founded =1998
| Industry =Virtualization Software
| Official Website =https://www.vmware.com
| Logo =Vmware.svg
}}
'''[[wikipedia:VMWare|VMware]]''' is a major player in the enterprise virtualization software market. The brand has been a subsidiary of [[Broadcom Inc.|Broadcom]] since November 2023.

Since the Broadcom takeover, licensing and business model changes bordering on extortion, price increases, litigations against corporate users such as Siemens, deliberately ending support for [https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/broadcom-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-subscription-less-vmware-users/ perpetual license] products, have left many customers facing skyrocketing virtualization costs.

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
* User freedom
* User privacy
* Business model
* Market control}}

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Cease and Desist Letters/Notifications===
An incident of a customer receiving a cease and desist letter from Broadcom, regarding perpetual licensing and other services offered.
[[File:Undefined - Imgur.png|thumb]]
==Products==
{{Placeholder box|This is a list of the company's product lines '''with articles on this wiki'''.
* [[Example product line one]] (release date): Short summary of the product's incidents.
* [[Example product line two]] (release date):}}

==See also==
[[Broadcom Inc.]]

==Alternatives==
Alternatives include the popular free and open source project [https://www.proxmox.com/ Proxmox], which has a less polished user interface but is otherwise functionally very close.

==References==
{{reflist}}https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/broadcom-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-subscription-less-vmware-users/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1jzqbte/vmware_threatening_perpetual_license_holders_than/

https://imgur.com/FbrdQya
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Broadcom Inc.

2025-08-28T00:06:23Z

King icebear: First initial page, feel free to reformat add on or change :)

{{Stub}}
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Public
| Founded =HP Associates (1961‍–‍1999)
Agilent Semiconductor Products Group (1999‍–‍2005)
Avago Technologies (2005‍–‍2016)
Broadcom Limited (2016‍–‍2018)
| Industry =Semiconductor
Computer Software
| Official Website =https://www.broadcom.com/
| Logo =Broadcom logo (2016-present).svg
}}
'''Broadcom Inc.''' is an American multinational designer, developer, manufacturer, and global supplier of a wide range of semiconductor and infrastructure software products. Broadcom's product offerings serve the data center, networking, software, broadband, wireless, storage, and industrial markets.

The company that would later become Broadcom Inc. was established in 1961 as HP Associates, a semiconductor products division of [[HP Inc.|Hewlett-Packard]].

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
* User freedom
* User privacy
* Business model
* Market control}}Numerous anti-customer/anti-competitive practices

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

=== '''Anti-competitive practices investigations''' ===
In January 2018, it was reported that the FTC had been investigating Broadcom for several months for engaging in anti-competitive tactics while negotiating with customers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cimilluca |first=Dana |date=17 Jan 2018 |title=FTC Investigates Broadcom Over Negotiations With Customers |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ftc-investigates-broadcom-over-negotiations-with-customers-1516212396 |access-date=27 Aug 2025 |website=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> In 2021, Broadcom agreed to settle the antitrust complaint, in which the U.S. Federal Trade Commission claimed that the company abused its monopoly power using restrictive contract terms and threats of retaliation against customers the company deemed "disloyal."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=31 Aug 2021 |title=Broadcom hires Baker Donelson team for antitrust, tech lobbying |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/broadcom-hires-baker-donelson-team-antitrust-tech-lobbying-2021-08-31/ |access-date=27 Aug 2025 |website=Reuters}}</ref>

In October 2019, Broadcom was ordered by the European Commission to stop allegedly anticompetitive practices.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Michaels |first=Daniel |date=16 Oct 2019 |title=Broadcom Ordered by EU to Halt Allegedly Anticompetitive Practices |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/broadcom-ordered-by-eu-to-halt-allegedly-anticompetitive-contract-practices-11571221103 |access-date=27 Aug 2025 |website=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> In 2021, Broadcom agreed to settle the antitrust complaint which claimed it had abused its monopoly power through restrictive contract terms and threats of retaliation against non-compliant customers.<ref name=":0" /> Such contract terms are alleged to stifle innovation and harm competition in the global supply market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Presse |first=AFP - Agence France |date=12 Jul 2023 |title=EU Clears US Chipmaker Broadcom's $61 Bn VMware Takeover |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/eu-clears-us-chipmaker-broadcom-s-61-bn-vmware-takeover-20d196dc |website=Barrons}}</ref> European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that Broadcom's contract terms with six main customers would "create serious and irreversible harm to competition" if no action were taken.<ref name=":1" /> The company agreed to a commitment to suspend agreements containing exclusivity or quasi-exclusivity arrangements and a commitment not to enter into such agreements for seven years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lomas |first=Natasha |date=7 Oct 2020 |title=European antitrust regulators settle with Broadcom a year after ‘interim measures’ flex |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/07/european-antitrust-regulators-settle-with-broadcom-a-year-after-interim-measures-flex/ |access-date=27 Aug 2025 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref>

===Aquisition of [[VMWare]], ending of perpetual licenses and Cease and Desist letters/notifications to customers===
==See also==
[[VMWare|VMware by Broadcom]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

File:Broadcom logo (2016-present).svg

2025-08-27T23:20:57Z

King icebear:

File:ONVIF Logo.png

2025-07-01T14:53:54Z

King icebear:

Verkada Inc.

2025-05-29T00:28:12Z

King icebear: /* Data breach */

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Private
| Founded =2016
| Industry =Physical security
| Official Website =https://www.verkada.com/
| Logo =Verkada logo.png
}}Verkada Inc. was founded in 2016 by Filip Kaliszan joined by James Ren, Benjamin Bercovitz and Hans Robertson. Filip, James and Benjamin are all graduates of Stanford University where they created and sold their first company CourseRank. Hans Robertson was one of the co-founders of [[Cisco Systems, Inc.|Meraki]] (acquired by [[Cisco Systems, Inc.|Cisco]] in 2012.) The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Verkada |url=https://www.verkada.com/about/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=https://www.verkada.com/about/}}</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==
User freedom/Business model

Verkada cameras are designed to be used with their cloud management web interface called Verkada Command and are not natively configured to use open and standard streaming protocols. To use or configure these products you must purchase valid Verkada annual licensing for each individual device. If your Verkada licensing becomes expired, hardware function and software access to the devices will be revoked. You will no longer be able to use or configure existing devices until licensing is restored.

"Customer must purchase one or more Licenses to use the Software for at least the number and type of Hardware units, Supported Third Party Devices, and/or Product Features that the Customer manages by means of the Software (collectively, “'''Valid Licensing'''”)... If Customer does not maintain Valid Licensing, then (i) Customer will have limited or no access to Customer Data, Product Features, and the Software, and (ii) the Hardware will not function as designed.

Verkada owns and retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Software and the System Data, and owns all intellectual property embodied in the Hardware and accessories."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verkada End User Agreement |url=https://legal.verkada.com/#eua |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=https://legal.verkada.com/#eua}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Data breach===
On March 8, 2021, Verkada was hacked by an international group including maia arson crimew and calling themselves the "APT - 69420 Arson Cats," which gained access to their network for about 36 hours and collected about 5 gigabytes of data.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2021 at 12:11 pm Updated March 11, 2021 at 2:05 pm |title=Security camera hack exposes hospitals, workplaces, schools |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/security-camera-hack-exposes-hospitals-workplaces-schools/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=SeattleTimes}}</ref>

Initially, it was reported that the scope of the incident included live and recorded security camera footage from more than 150,000 cameras.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2021 at 3:32 PM CST
Updated on March 10, 2021 at 10:35 AM CST |title=Hackers Breach Thousands of Security Cameras, Exposing Tesla, Jails, Hospitals |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-09/hackers-expose-tesla-jails-in-breach-of-150-000-security-cams |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> It was later reported that 97 customers' video and images data were accessed with 4,530 cameras across these organizations which the attackers may have accessed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Summary: March 9, 2021 Security Incident Report |url=https://www.verkada.com/security-update/report/ |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
[[Cisco Systems, Inc.]]

==References==

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
<references />

Verkada Inc.

2025-05-29T00:13:46Z

King icebear: /* References */

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Private
| Founded =2016
| Industry =Physical security
| Official Website =https://www.verkada.com/
| Logo =Verkada logo.png
}}Verkada Inc. was founded in 2016 by Filip Kaliszan joined by James Ren, Benjamin Bercovitz and Hans Robertson. Filip, James and Benjamin are all graduates of Stanford University where they created and sold their first company CourseRank. Hans Robertson was one of the co-founders of [[Cisco Systems, Inc.|Meraki]] (acquired by [[Cisco Systems, Inc.|Cisco]] in 2012.) The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Verkada |url=https://www.verkada.com/about/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=https://www.verkada.com/about/}}</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==
User freedom/Business model

Verkada cameras are designed to be used with their cloud management web interface called Verkada Command and are not natively configured to use open and standard streaming protocols. To use or configure these products you must purchase valid Verkada annual licensing for each individual device. If your Verkada licensing becomes expired, hardware function and software access to the devices will be revoked. You will no longer be able to use or configure existing devices until licensing is restored.

"Customer must purchase one or more Licenses to use the Software for at least the number and type of Hardware units, Supported Third Party Devices, and/or Product Features that the Customer manages by means of the Software (collectively, “'''Valid Licensing'''”)... If Customer does not maintain Valid Licensing, then (i) Customer will have limited or no access to Customer Data, Product Features, and the Software, and (ii) the Hardware will not function as designed.

Verkada owns and retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Software and the System Data, and owns all intellectual property embodied in the Hardware and accessories."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verkada End User Agreement |url=https://legal.verkada.com/#eua |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=https://legal.verkada.com/#eua}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Data breach===
On March 8, 2021, Verkada was hacked by an international group including maia arson crimew and calling themselves the "APT - 69420 Arson Cats," which gained access to their network for about 36 hours and collected about 5 gigabytes of data.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2021 at 12:11 pm Updated March 11, 2021 at 2:05 pm |title=Security camera hack exposes hospitals, workplaces, schools |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/security-camera-hack-exposes-hospitals-workplaces-schools/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=SeattleTimes}}</ref>

Initially, it was reported that the scope of the incident included live and recorded security camera footage from more than 150,000 cameras.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2021 at 3:32 PM CST
Updated on March 10, 2021 at 10:35 AM CST |title=Hackers Breach Thousands of Security Cameras, Exposing Tesla, Jails, Hospitals |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-09/hackers-expose-tesla-jails-in-breach-of-150-000-security-cams |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> It was later reported that 97 customers' video and images data were accessed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Summary: March 9, 2021 Security Incident Report |url=https://www.verkada.com/security-update/report/ |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
[[Cisco Systems, Inc.]]

==References==

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
<references />

Verkada Inc.

2025-05-29T00:12:42Z

King icebear: Initial Page

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Private
| Founded =2016
| Industry =Physical security
| Official Website =https://www.verkada.com/
| Logo =Verkada logo.png
}}Verkada Inc. was founded in 2016 by Filip Kaliszan joined by James Ren, Benjamin Bercovitz and Hans Robertson. Filip, James and Benjamin are all graduates of Stanford University where they created and sold their first company CourseRank. Hans Robertson was one of the co-founders of [[Cisco Systems, Inc.|Meraki]] (acquired by [[Cisco Systems, Inc.|Cisco]] in 2012.) The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Verkada |url=https://www.verkada.com/about/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=https://www.verkada.com/about/}}</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==
User freedom/Business model

Verkada cameras are designed to be used with their cloud management web interface called Verkada Command and are not natively configured to use open and standard streaming protocols. To use or configure these products you must purchase valid Verkada annual licensing for each individual device. If your Verkada licensing becomes expired, hardware function and software access to the devices will be revoked. You will no longer be able to use or configure existing devices until licensing is restored.

"Customer must purchase one or more Licenses to use the Software for at least the number and type of Hardware units, Supported Third Party Devices, and/or Product Features that the Customer manages by means of the Software (collectively, “'''Valid Licensing'''”)... If Customer does not maintain Valid Licensing, then (i) Customer will have limited or no access to Customer Data, Product Features, and the Software, and (ii) the Hardware will not function as designed.

Verkada owns and retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Software and the System Data, and owns all intellectual property embodied in the Hardware and accessories."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verkada End User Agreement |url=https://legal.verkada.com/#eua |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=https://legal.verkada.com/#eua}}</ref>

==Incidents==

=== Data breach ===
On March 8, 2021, Verkada was hacked by an international group including maia arson crimew and calling themselves the "APT - 69420 Arson Cats," which gained access to their network for about 36 hours and collected about 5 gigabytes of data.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2021 at 12:11 pm Updated March 11, 2021 at 2:05 pm |title=Security camera hack exposes hospitals, workplaces, schools |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/security-camera-hack-exposes-hospitals-workplaces-schools/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=SeattleTimes}}</ref>

Initially, it was reported that the scope of the incident included live and recorded security camera footage from more than 150,000 cameras.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2021 at 3:32 PM CST
Updated on March 10, 2021 at 10:35 AM CST |title=Hackers Breach Thousands of Security Cameras, Exposing Tesla, Jails, Hospitals |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-09/hackers-expose-tesla-jails-in-breach-of-150-000-security-cams |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> It was later reported that 97 customers' video and images data were accessed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Summary: March 9, 2021 Security Incident Report |url=https://www.verkada.com/security-update/report/ |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
[[Cisco Systems, Inc.]]

==References==

# https://www.verkada.com/about/
# [https://help.verkada.com/en/articles/6326326-manage-your-licenses https://help.]https://legal.verkada.com/#eua
# https://www.seattletimes.com/business/security-camera-hack-exposes-hospitals-workplaces-schools/
# https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-09/hackers-expose-tesla-jails-in-breach-of-150-000-security-cams
# https://www.verkada.com/security-update/report/

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

File:Verkada logo.png

2025-05-28T22:06:10Z

King icebear:

Cisco Systems, Inc.

2025-04-08T01:20:07Z

King icebear: first page

File:Cisco logo blue 2016.png

2025-04-08T01:11:31Z

King icebear: