Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Positive practices

2025-11-17T20:53:08Z

Someoneontheinternet: Added example of pro-consumer business practice

Positive practices are pro-consumer business approaches that prioritize the interests, rights, and well-being of customers. They are designed to empower consumers and offer fairness, transparency, and value:
*;Transparency
::Clearly disclosing pricing, terms, conditions, and product information upfront.

*;Fair value
::Offering products/services at reasonable prices that match the value provided.

*;Consumer control and choice
::Giving customers options, simple cancellation, ownership rights, and repair ability.

*;Longevity and durability
::Designing products to last and be repairable, reducing waste and repeat costs.

*;Respectful support
::Providing accessible, helpful, and fair customer service to identify and resolve issues.

==Examples==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Common Positive Practices
!Practice
!Description
|-
|One-Time Purchase
|Offering a product or service for a single payment with no recurring fees for core functionality.
|-
|[[Right to repair|Right to Repair]]
|Designing products to be repairable by the consumer, and making parts, tools, manuals, and software accessible to the public.
|-
|Transparent Pricing
|Clearly displaying the full price (including all mandatory fees/taxes) upfront in advertising or early during checkout.
|-
|Fair Return Policy
|Offering returns, exchanges, or refunds within a reasonable time frame.
|-
|Clear Cancellation Policy
|Maintaining a simple and straightforward process for cancelling subscriptions without unnecessary steps.
|-
|[[Right to own|Ownership model]]
|Ensuring consumers own what they purchase, including the ability to use, modify, resell, or transfer the product freely.
|-
|Honest Marketing
|Providing accurate information about products.
|-
|Proactive Customer Support
|Offering readily available support to identify and resolve issues efficiently.
|-
|Privacy By Design
|A product or service is designed in a way that collecting metadata and accessing users' information is technically impossible even for the manufacturer or the entity running the service.
|-
|[[End-user license agreement|EULA]]/[[Terms of service|ToS]] Summarization
|Providing a summary of the information outlined in long legal documents related to a product or service, such as end-user license agreements or terms of service documents, that consumers with little or no legal system experience can understand.
|}
----

==Subscription or single purchase==
Subscriptions prioritize continuous access and updates, while one-time purchases emphasize ownership.

===One-time===
:A single payment granting permanent ownership or access to a physical product or lifetime software license.
::Positives<ref name=":SubOne">{{Cite web |last=Fernandes |first=Lauren |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Consumer Outlook 2024 |url=https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/report/2024/consumer-outlook-2024-6-consumer-sentiment-driven-strategies-to-drive-growth-and-capture-spending/ |website=Nielsen IQ }}</ref><ref name=":SubTwo">{{Cite web |last=Goodbread |first=Justin |date=October 27, 2023 |title=The Truth About Recurring Revenue |url=https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesfinancecouncil/2023/10/27/the-truth-about-recurring-revenue/ |website=Forbes }}</ref>
::*No long-term financial commitment required.
::*No ongoing costs allows customers to avoid recurring fees.
::*The users retains access indefinitely without dependency on the provider.
::Negatives<ref name=":SubOne"></ref><ref name=":SubTwo"></ref>
::*Higher initial cost may deter budget-conscious buyers.
::*Limited updates and future improvements may require additional purchases.
::*Businesses rely on new sales for sustained income.

===Subscription===
:Recurring monthly or annual payments provide ongoing access to a product or service.
::Positives<ref name=":SubOne"></ref><ref name=":SubTwo"></ref>
::*Lower entry cost spreads payments over time, making services more accessible.
::*Subscribers receive continuous updates, ongoing improvements, and support.
::*Businesses get a predictable revenue stream from recurring payments.
::Negatives<ref name=":SubOne"></ref><ref name=":SubTwo"></ref>
::*Long-term cost may become more expensive over time than a one-time purchase.
::*Ongoing commitment requires active cancellation to stop payments.
::*Subscription fatigue may cause consumers to feel overwhelmed by multiple recurring charges.

===Considerations for subscription plans===

*Does this service update frequently or at least within the subscription time frame?
*How long will I be needing this service, and will it be compatible with me for that amount of time?

===Considerations for one-time purchases===

*Will I need this for more than a single month (or subscription period)?
*How soon will this product become redundant or outdated? Is it an annual subscription in disguise?

===Offline product vs. online services for digital goods===
Services that run exclusively online innately allow the company to maintain greater control over how their products operate and are received. This form of control can lead to changes in the product that can improve it, but can otherwise also introduce a myriad of issues such as incompatibility and the removal of functionality. Digital goods that are completely operational offline allow the consumer to decide how long those goods will be used. As long as the downloaded product can be stored and correctly rendered, it has no expiration.

===Considerations for online services===

*Is this product made for online connectivity and interaction?
**Example: Online social games such as ''World of Warcraft''
*Is this product more secure online?
*Is required online connectivity an artificial constraint or is it legitimately necessary for the product's functionality?
*How likely am I to maintain an internet connection to this service?
*Can this service alter itself into an incompatible state? Can this service remove functionality that I need?
*Is this service distributed from a centralized organization?
**If so, is there legislation and effective enforcement in said organization's location that protects me from malicious practices with my data?

===Considerations for offline products===

*Will I be able to effectively download and store this?
*Does the product contain DRM protections?
*Does it have any dependencies, and can those dependencies become redundant?
**Example: Products designed for a limited set of operating systems that may become outdated

===Source availability===
Oftentimes, companies will [[security through obscurity|actively obscure]], or simply not provide, details about a product's functionality. This exacerbates the potential pitfalls mentioned above, but when information is provided it can eliminate many of them.

===Considerations for physical goods===

*Does the product provide schematics?
*Are parts available?
**This helps product longevity by making repair easier, regardless of who performs the repair.
*Are there anti-repair measures in place?
===Considerations for digital goods===

*Is the source code available?
**This can allow patches if unwanted updates are pushed or support is dropped.
*Are there [[DRM]] measures in place?

==References==
[[Category:Common terms]]
<references />

Europe-based news sites enact consent-or-pay for data tracking

2025-09-13T15:58:58Z

Someoneontheinternet: Changed some wording to better comply with editorial guidelines, moved phrases around

{{Stub}}
{{ToneWarning}}
The Mirror and The Independent are UK-based news sites that have recently enacted the [[consent-or-pay]] model, creating a binary choice where readers must either consent to cookies or pay to avoid the data tracking.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=15 August 2025 |title=The Mirror |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=15 August 2025 |title=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/}}</ref> This consent-or-pay model began rolling out on various websites when the UK and EU passed the [[General Data Protection Regulation|General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)]], which aims to protect internet users from data exploitation.

==Background==
After the [[GDPR]] passed in 2018, some companies responded to the regulation by enacting consent-or-pay, a model where users can either consent to data tracking via cookies or must pay a small sum to reject all cookies. The purpose of the payment is to offset the loss of ad revenue per viewer.[[File:The Mirror Cookie Disclosure Notice.png|alt=The Mirror Cookie Disclosure Notice containing text "We have introduced these choices in accordance with data protection regulations."|thumb|The Mirror's cookie disclosure notice with the options of "I Agree" or "Reject and Pay."]]
==Consumer impact==
The consent-or-pay model violates the the [[General Data Protection Regulation|GDPR]], and it is also an ethical issue regarding privacy<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=November 28, 2023 |title=Meta's 'Pay or Okay' Model: Legal and Ethical Implications for Publishers |url=https://www.uniconsent.com/blog/risks-of-pay-or-consent-models |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250427063707/https://www.uniconsent.com/blog/risks-of-pay-or-consent-models |archive-date=27 Apr 2025 |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |work=UniConsent}}</ref>. The European Union at EDPB adopted this opinion following the requests of Dutch, Norway, and Hamburg DPA's (Data Protection Authorities) regarding the consent or pay models deployed by large, popular platforms such as [[Facebook]] and other platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 April 2024 |title=EDPB: ‘Consent or Pay’ models should offer real choice |url=https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2024/edpb-consent-or-pay-models-should-offer-real-choice_en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726233856/https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2024/edpb-consent-or-pay-models-should-offer-real-choice_en |archive-date=26 Jul 2024 |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=European Data Protection Board (EU)}}</ref>

According to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office, consent is defined as “any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.” 'Freely given' is later defined as giving people genuine choice over how their data is used, meaning they must be able to refuse consent without detriment, and must be able to withdraw consent easily at any time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is valid consent? |url=https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/consent/what-is-valid-consent/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250716030925/https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/consent/what-is-valid-consent/ |archive-date=2025-07-16 |access-date=2025-08-27 |website=ICO {{!}} Information Commissioner's Office}}</ref>[[File:News The Independent Today's headlines and latest breaking news.jpeg.png|thumb|The Independent’s cookie notice with the title "Privacy - it's your choice." The notice then gives viewers the option to either "pay to remove ads" or "accept" data collection for targeted ads.]]
==Uses==
News organizations across Europe, particularly in the UK and Germany, have enacted the consent-or-pay model for website visits. Meanwhile, users will see ads regardless of monthly payment, only free of personalized ads generated from personal data.
{| class="wikitable"
|+UK News Organizations and Cookie Rejection Fee
!News organization
!Website
!Monthly fee
|-
|The Mirror
|
|£1.99
|-
|The Independent
|
|£4
|-
|Mail Online
|
|£2.70
|-
|Express
|
|£1.99
|-
|Daily Mirror
|
|
|-
|The Sun
|
|£4.99
|-
|Reach
|
|£1.99
|}
In The Sun's frequently asked questions, they answer what Pay to Reject is with this explanation on their website:<blockquote>''"In response to recent enforcement action by the UK Information Commissioner against publishers, we have been forced to introduce new technology to ask our subscribers to consent to the advertising cookies that support our journalism, or pay a monthly fee that means we don’t need to use them."''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Advertising cookie consent settings |url=https://ptr.thesun.co.uk/ |website=The Sun}}</ref></blockquote>
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Incidents]]

Futurehome Smarthub mandatory subscription fee

2025-09-01T14:57:33Z

Someoneontheinternet: /* Consumer response */ Fixed grammar error

[[File:Futurehome Smarthub.jpg|thumb|Futurehome’s Smarthub (left) and example compatible devices]]

Futurehome ransomed customer devices after bankruptcy, forcing them to pay a subscription fee or face disabled core functionality.

In 2025, Futurehome's new owners announced that '''existing customers would now have to pay an annual subscription to continue using their previously purchased smart-home hubs'''. After a bankruptcy and relaunch, Futurehome imposed an annual fee of 1,188 NOK (around $117 USD) for access to its app and cloud services, locking users out unless they subscribed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=2025-06-18 |title=FAQ Subscription - Futurehome |url=https://support.futurehome.no/hc/en-no/articles/28158944965277-FAQ-Subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/UBjdJ |archive-date=2025-07-13 |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |title=Krever abonnement av kundene - Elektro24-7 |trans-title=Requires Subscription from Customers |url=https://www.elektro247.no/krever-abonnement-av-kundene.6722352-567787.html |access-date=2025-07-14 |language=no}}</ref>

'''Customers who declined to pay lost access to the mobile app (even for local use)''', along with all automations and the hub's local API integrations, leaving only basic on-device (physical) control.

==Company info and background==
'''Futurehome''' AS is a Norwegian smart-home technology company founded in 2013, known for the ''Futurehome Smarthub'', a central gateway device that connects and controls IoT devices. The Smarthub and Futurehome's own product line ''(thermostats, smart plugs, relays, sensors, etc<ref>{{Cite web |title=Products - Futurehome |url=https://www.futurehome.io/en_no/products |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref>)'' allow users to automate lighting, heating, EV charging, and other home functions via a mobile app and cloud platform.

The hub lets users pair Zigbee-, Z-Wave-, and Futurehome-branded devices and control them locally or remotely through a free mobile app and cloud service; it also exposes local APIs for third-party integrations such as Home Assistant.

The '''Futurehome Smarthub'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Futurehome |url=https://www.futurehome.io/en_no/ |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref> was '''originally sold as a one-time purchase.''' '''Prior to 2025, Futurehome operated on a one-time hardware purchase model''', with app and cloud services included at no extra cost.

Futurehome AS was declared bankrupt on 20 May 2025. The platform and its services were acquired in a 50-50 split by Sikom Connect AS and the former Futurehome owners. The business was relaunched under a new entity: '''FHSD Connect AS.'''<ref name=":0" /> A press release by Sikom Connect AS on the same day clearly depicted their expectation of making every futurehome user into a paying customer for FHSD Connect AS by counting the entire user base of Futurehome into their customer base: "''With the purchase of futurehome, Sikom expands their services to private housing with a combined customer base of more than 70 000 customers''"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schieflow |first=Torfinn |date=2025-05-20 |title=Strategisk viktig samarbeid |url=https://www.sikom.no/2025/05/20/strategisk-viktig-samarbeid/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-07-25 |website=www.sikom.no}}</ref>(Translated from Norwegian)

==June 2025 subscription rollout==
After the bankruptcy & relaunch, ''any'' continued use now requires an annual subscription of 1,188 NOK (≈ $117). Households that decline are locked out of the application, automations, and the local API interface, leaving only manual, on-device control.<ref name=":0" />

Following the relaunch, FHSD Connect announced that a mandatory subscription would be required to continue using the Smarthub platform. The subscription requirement was activated on 26 June 2025, and both existing and new households were given a four-week trial period before charges apply.<ref name=":0" />

Customers who do not activate the subscription within that trial window face the following restrictions:<ref name=":0" />

*'''App access disabled:''' Users can't use the app remotely via cloud or on the local network.
*'''Automations and modes frozen:''' All user-defined automations, preset modes ''(Home/Away/Night, etc.)'', shortcuts, and energy management features stop working.
*'''Local API and MQTT disabled:''' The hub's developer interfaces remain active only for a short grace period after the trial, then are gradually shut off without an active subscription.
*'''Physical control only:''' Basic manual control of devices continues to work: the smart devices revert to ''"dumb"'' mode with no central coordination.
*'''Support limited:''' Access to customer support channels (chat and phone support) is reserved for paying subscribers.

These limitations were delivered via a firmware update to the hub's software, locking previously available features behind the paywall. One Futurehome software engineer, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the firmware was designed to enforce this lockout mechanism and compel users to subscribe. As of the changeover, the Futurehome system was reportedly installed in over '''38,000 Norwegian households''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome Norge |trans-title=The updated figure of 38,000 is listed only on the Norwegian version of the site |url=https://www.futurehome.io/no/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |language=no}}</ref> all of which had to choose between paying the new fees or losing most "smart" functionality.
[[File:Image(1).png|thumb|Indexed search results from the forum about disabling automatic hub and app updates]]

As part of the ownership transition, FHSD Connect also shut down the official Futurehome user forum, stating they were ''"consolidating support channels"'', further limiting access to help resources for users who don't subscribe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome Forum |url=https://forum.futurehome.io |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715103026/https://forum.futurehome.io/ |archive-date=2025-07-15 |access-date=2025-07-15}}</ref> The forum contained, among other things, discussions from previous years about how to disable automatic updates for the hub and app ([https://forum-old.futurehome.io/t/smarthub-and-app-update/6400 link to delisted forum thread])<gallery>
</gallery><gallery>
File:Futurehome Subscription App Info 1.PNG|Futurehome app home screen prompting the user to activate a subscription.
File:Futurehome Subscription App Info 2.PNG|Subscription-activation screen showing annual-payment terms; one link opens the subscription FAQ, the other opens a [https://us1.zonka.co/1pBYm3?language=en_US feedback form]
File:Futurehome subscription feedback form.jpg|Feedback form presented to users who decline the subscription ([https://us1.zonka.co/1pBYm3?language=en_US link])
</gallery>

==Futurehome's reply==
FHSD CEO Øyvind Fries justified the subscription model as necessary to ''"secure stable operation, fund product development, and provide high-quality support,"'' according to statements given to [https://www.tek.no/nyheter/nyhet/i/alMe04/rasende-kunder-opplever-smarthjem-utpressing Tek.no] and reiterated in the FAQ.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":1" /> Fries explained that the subscription was introduced to ensure the '''long-term viability''' of the platform after bankruptcy: without new revenue, they could not guarantee stable operation of the cloud servers or continued updates to the product.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Rasende kunder opplever smarthjem-utpressing |trans-title=Furious customers experience smart home blackmail |url=https://www.tek.no/nyheter/nyhet/i/alMe04/rasende-kunder-opplever-smarthjem-utpressing |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Tek.no |language=no}}</ref>

He stated that the annual fee would help fund ongoing development of new features and maintain a high level of support for customers.<ref name=":0" /> The company also emailed users saying the change would ultimately provide ''"better functionality, more security, and higher value in the solution you already have invested in",'' positioning the subscription as an improvement for the user base.<ref name=":13" />

==Consumer response==
The reaction from Futurehome’s user base was negative. Norwegian customers described the move as a betrayal, given that the original sale included full functionality with no indication that a subscription would be introduced later.

On [[Reddit]]'s r/norge, there is an active discussion thread filled with outrage, legal concerns, and comparisons to ransomware tactics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome tvinger eksisterende kunder over til et abonnement, hva nå? : r/norge |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/norge/comments/1lek0p7/futurehome_tvinger_eksisterende_kunder_over_til/ |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

One user, muffinmeistro, wrote:<blockquote>''I can't understand how what they're trying to do here is legal. I'd like to hear what u/thomasiversen thinks.''

''They're removing functionality locally in a hub (computer) that I've paid for with an update.''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2025-06-18 |title=Futurehome is forcing existing customers to switch to a subscription, what now? : r/norge |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/norge/comments/1lek0p7/comment/myhs0sm/?tl=en |url-status= |access-date=2025-07-13}}</ref>

''(Translated from Norwegian)''</blockquote>Another user posted expressing concern for the pushing of the subscription, as well as a poor user experience:<blockquote>''I want to spend my money somewhere else than paying over 1000 kroner a year for half-hearted functionality. What options do I have? I currently have lights and thermostats from Futurehome. Can these devices be used with Home Assistant?<ref>{{Cite web |last=MrGeniusL |date=2025-06-18 |title=Futurehome tvinger eksisterende kunder over til et abonnement, hva nå? |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/norge/comments/1lek0p7/futurehome_tvinger_eksisterende_kunder_over_til/ |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=r/norge |language=no}}</ref>''

''(Translated from Norwegian)''</blockquote>

==Questionable legality==
This issue drew attention to consumer protection laws. Norway is not an EU member but is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), which means EU consumer-protection directives (such as those barring unfair commercial practices) are incorporated into Norwegian law. Observers noted that retroactively charging a subscription for a product that was sold under a no-fee premise might violate these rules, though as of mid-2025 it remained unclear if any official action would be taken. Some users discussed the possibility of legal recourse or a class-action lawsuit in response to Futurehome's move.

==$5000 bounty to crack firmware==
On the 16th of July, 2025, consumer rights advocate Louis Rossman announced that he would pay a $5000 bounty to anyone capable of restoring the previous functions of Futurehome's products. In addition, Rossman would hire a lawyer to defend the individual that provided the solution, if he or she were to be taken to court.

In response to this, FHSD Connect AS CEO, Øyvind Fries, says that:
<blockquote>
It is regrettable that we now have to spend time and resources on strengthening the security around a service in demand, rather than further developing functionality for the benefit of our customers (Translated from Norwegian).
</blockquote>
Fries adds that their focus is on reliable and user-friendly services, with former customers of Futurehome being of primary interest. Regarding the bounty, Fries expressed:
<blockquote>
Although some perceive this as entertainment, it can have serious consequences for several thousand subscribers who use the service daily.

Unauthorized access to software is considered illegal hacking, and is punished according to Norwegian law (Translated from Norwegian).
</blockquote>
When asked by the journalists at Tek.no about what legal actions that FHDS Connect AS would take if someone were to obtain the bounty, Fries said:
<blockquote>
Any offenses are followed up by the police, who have experience with this type of problem (Translated from Norwegian).
</blockquote>

==Similarity to Wink==
In 2020, [[Wink]] suddenly introduced a $4.99 monthly fee for continued use of its previously free smart-home service, giving customers only a one-week ultimatum and warning that devices would stop working if they didn't pay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wink smart hub users get one week's notice to pay up or lose access - Ars Technica |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/05/wink-smart-hub-users-get-one-weeks-notice-to-pay-up-or-lose-access/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Wink smart hub users get one week’s notice to pay up or lose access - Ars Technica}}</ref> That move led to a class-action lawsuit alleging deceptive business practices, breach of warranty, and even ''"trespass to chattels"'' on the grounds that Wink's remote deactivation scheme unlawfully interfered with consumers' owned property.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greenwald Davidson Radbil PLLC {{!}} Greenwald Davidson Radbil PLLC files amended class action complaint against Wink Labs, Inc. over new monthly charge |url=https://www.gdrlawfirm.com/Wink-class-action |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313203733/https://www.gdrlawfirm.com/Wink-class-action |archive-date=2023-03-13 |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Greenwald Davidson Radbil PLLC {{!}} Greenwald Davidson Radbil PLLC files amended class action complaint against Wink Labs, Inc. over new monthly charge}}</ref>

Futurehome's forced subscription draws parallels to the Wink case while demonstrating an industry pattern of undermining the '''[[right to own]]''' what one has bought. Critics argue that such practices erode consumers' sense of ownership, turning purchased devices into services that can be revoked or pay-walled at any time.

==Impact on third-party integrations==
Beyond the immediate loss of app functionality, the subscription requirement '''disables all third-party integrations'''. Futurehome previously allowed integration with:

*[[Home Assistant]] via a custom MQTT bridge<ref>{{Cite web |title=runelangseid/hassio-futurehome2mqtt |url=https://github.com/runelangseid/hassio-futurehome2mqtt |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref>
*[[Homebridge]] via NPM plugin for Apple HomeKit<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=homebridge-futurehome - npm |url=https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-futurehome |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref> let Futurehome devices be controlled via Siri and the Apple Home app

These relied on the hub's local API and MQTT server. Once disabled, no data is sent or received, breaking compatibility with these platforms. Once the subscription enforcement kicked in, the hub stopped publishing or accepting local MQTT messages and the API shut down, breaking compatibility.

While some users may migrate to other smart home ecosystems using open protocols like Zigbee2MQTT<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zigbee2MQTT Supported Devices – Futurehome |url=https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/supported-devices/#v=Futurehome |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref>, some Futurehome-branded devices (e.g., the HAN-Sensor and Futurehome Charge EV charger) may lose core features or become inaccessible due to lack of open community drivers.

==Inadequate subscription notice==
Futurehome does not prominently disclose the new subscription requirement in product listings or on its homepage, even as the change was rolled out. The company's official website and online store continued to list the Smarthub and related products with their one-time purchase price only, with no prominent notice about the required annual fee.

The only mention of a subscription on the homepage was buried in fine print upon scrolling, and product pages ''(for devices like the HAN-Sensor or the Futurehome Mode Switch)'' contain no warning that the system requires ongoing payments.

Similarly, the Futurehome app listings on the Apple App Store and Google Play made no reference to a subscription requirement, potentially misleading new customers into thinking the hub's functionality was included in the purchase price.

<gallery mode="slideshow">
File:Subscription.jpg|The only mention of a subscription on [https://www.futurehome.io/en_no/ site homepage] is in fine print on the second scroll page.<ref name=":3" />
File:Homepage futurehome.jpg|Landing view of homepage with no subscription mention.
</gallery>

Further, product and app store pages list only hardware prices, creating the false impression of a one-time purchase.

<gallery>
File:Applefree.jpg|Apple App Store listing for Futurehome, no mention of required subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome on the App Store |url=https://apps.apple.com/tr/app/futurehome/id1470952171 |access-date=2025-07-13}}</ref>
File:Androidfree.jpg|Google Play listing for Futurehome app, no mention of subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome - Apps on Google Play |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=no.futurehome.futurehome_app&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1 |access-date=2025-07-13}}</ref>
File:Modusbryter nosub.jpg|Modusbryter page omits any disclosure of subscription lock-in.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Modusbryter (Black) - Futurehome |url=https://www.futurehome.io/en_no/shop/modeswitch-black#tab-description |access-date=2025-07-13}}</ref>
</gallery>

==Network hacking possibility==


First, find out the IP address of the FH device on the network. Since most IPv4 networks use RFC-1918 addresses on the inside of the network, let's say our example IP is 10.20.30.40/24. Once we have this, let's capture all the network traffic being sent to and from the device. If at all possible, create a SPAN/mirror port on the connected switch to include local (multicast and broadcast) traffic. If we can't, let's start at the firewall. Depending on the vendor (Check Point, Fortinet, Cisco, Palo Alto, whatever) the syntax will be unique but we want the capture to look like this:

''tcpdump -nn -vvv -e -s 0 -X -c 100000 -i eth0 host 10.20.30.40''

Assuming that `eth0` is our internal interface, this will capture all non-local traffic to and from the device. Now, if the traffic is not encrypted, we can read the payloads of what's being sent to/from the device which will also include the DNS requests so long as the DNS server is hosted externally. If it's internal, we want to run and gather logs on the DNS server to see what A/AAAA records are being requested by the FH device.

If the traffic is encrypted, this changes things as the firewall won't be able to decrypt the traffic. To bypass this issue, we'd use a tool such as Burp Suite (https://portswigger.net/burp) on our computer to intercept the traffic. This requires our computer to act as a routing device (likely with NAT to avoid ICMP Redirects) which is outside the scope of this blurb. So long as the FH device and service don't use Certificate Pinning and/or HSTS, the Burp device will be able to decrypt all the traffic.

At this point, we should now know:

#The DNS A/AAAA requests and responses that the FH device queries
#The Layer-3 protocols and Layer-4 ports in use by the device
#The commands sent back and forth between the FH device and the FH server
#The responses sent back and forth from item three, above

Armed with this, we will need to create a DNS server that has a local zone (db.rpz.local) for each DNS request by the FH device. These entries should point to (what will eventually become) our custom FH server. For this example, let's use 1.2.3.4 as the server IP. Now, any time the FH device wants to connect to the actual FH server and it's using our DNS server, it will connect to 1.2.3.4 (our custom server) instead.

We now have traffic being routed to our custom server at 1.2.3.4 at which point we need to create software to receive and properly answer the commands being sent to/from the FH device. While I don't know what those would look like, if they're simple commands (ex: temp_set_21 -> command_ok) the server-side could be something as simple as a BASH script wrapped up with NetCat, a python socket server or even a more robust C++ server.

Firmware isn't hacked: We've just created a new tool that the FH device ''happens'' to work with. :)

==Futurehome Debian "Wheezy" software repositories==
The following are two of futurehome`s software repositories:

*Cube-1v1-eu hub: http://archive.futurehome.no/prod-1v1
*Cube-2v0-eu hub: http://archive.futurehome.no/prod-2v0/

==See also==
[[Retroactively amended purchase]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Futurehome]]
[[Category:Smart home device obsolescence]]
[[Category:Planned obsolescence through software updates]]
[[Category:Forced subscription activation]]
[[Category:Consumer rights]]

User talk:Someoneontheinternet

2025-08-28T00:12:25Z

Someoneontheinternet: Undo revision 22538 by Someoneontheinternet (talk)

=== Linking to Wikipedia articles ===

I wonder if it's allowed to link to articles from Wikipedia to help better explain some things, for when there is no other dedicated article on the Consumer Action Taskforce wiki. For example, I came across a sentence on the article (on here) for YouTube, talking about the game of cat and mouse between adblockers and YouTube's bypasses reflecting the Streisand effect. I couldn't remember what it was, so I went to Wikipedia to look up Streisand effect there to remind myself. Could I make it so you can save a few extra clicks by making "Streisand effect" hyperlink to the Wikipedia article on it?

: Hey, @[[User:Someoneontheinternet|Someoneontheinternet]]. Yes this is allowed and actually encouraged! Some things don't fit the criteria for inclusion on the wiki or it just does not make sense to recreate them away from wikipedia. I cases like you describe adding a link by using <code><nowiki>[[wikipedia:Open_source| the link text]]</nowiki></code> to get [[wikipedia:Open Source|the link text]] is what is recommended. [[User:Kostas|Kostas]] ([[User talk:Kostas|talk]]) 23:45, 8 February 2025 (UTC)

User:Someoneontheinternet

2025-08-28T00:11:34Z

Someoneontheinternet: Changed sentence

I am just someone on the Internet who is excited to see this wiki put at least a dent in this problem of modern consumer "protection." Pretty much just a copyeditor.

User talk:Someoneontheinternet

2025-08-28T00:10:41Z

Someoneontheinternet: Added question for anyone knowledgable to answer

User:Someoneontheinternet

2025-08-16T03:01:01Z

Someoneontheinternet:

I am just someone on the Internet who is excited to see this wiki put at least a dent in this problem of modern consumer "protection." I will look mostly for grammar/spelling errors and correct them.

Verkada Inc.

2025-08-16T03:00:07Z

Someoneontheinternet: Improved formatting, used proper name shortening conventions

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Private
| Founded =2016
| Industry =Physical security
| Official Website =https://www.verkada.com/
| Logo =Verkada logo.png
}}'''[[wikipedia:Verkada|Verkada Inc.]]''' was founded in 2016 by Filip Kaliszan, and joined by James Ren, Benjamin Bercovitz, and Hans Robertson. Kaliszan, Ren and Bercovitz 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 crime 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=10 Mar 2021 |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=9 Mar 2021 |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 />

Airthings ASA app release

2025-08-16T02:55:43Z

Someoneontheinternet: Fixed grammar throughout the article, filled in some blanks

{{Incomplete}}
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Airthings
|StartDate=2024-05-13
|EndDate=2024-05-13
|Status=Pending Resolution
|ProductLine=Wave Gen 1
|Product=Wave Gen 1
|ArticleType=Product
|Type=Privacy, Digital restrictions, Service Termination
|Description=Airthings products collect user environment data and their new app uploads everything when the previous app allowed offline use despite dark patterns
}}On May 21, 2024, Airthings ASA sent an e-mail to all users stating their old app, now renamed to "Wave Gen 1", but previously "Airthings" will be retired, and asks users to use their new Airthings app instead, ensuring it will contain more features.

Unfortunately, their new app does not allow users to use their devices in offline mode like the previous version, and all data is automatically sent to Airthings servers without warning.

Their previous app was last updated on May 29, 2024, to reflect the name change.

==Background==
Airthings sells devices that and monitor users' rooms' air quality and collects data about it. The Gen 1 devices have Bluetooth BLE capability that allow users to view a graph of all the devices' sensors (like CO2, humidity, and Radon) and assign a room name like "kid's bedroom", "living room", "bathroom", etc. to distinguish between various devices.

Users first had to log in to set up their account, but once they logged in for the first time, they were able to view their device's collected data in real time even if they had no internet connection, thanks to the devices using Bluetooth BLE.

==[Incident]==
The old Airthings app had the ability to view user data even if the phone was offline. The app connects to all devices and displays their status and data. A dark pattern "sync" button would both collect data from the devices using BLE ''and'' send data to the cloud. By going offline, this could be prevented. Users would often use an offline secondary phone as the household monitor.

On May 21, 2024, Airthings ASA alerted old app users by e-mail that their current app will not be publicly available in the future and that they should move to the new app that does not allow collecting device data without being online as it uploads it at the same time to their servers before displaying it.

===Airthings' response===

When asked about offline features, support agents seemed ignorant or feigned ignorance that the Wave Gen 1 app allowed offline use of their device.
==Lawsuit==

==Consumer response==

https://www.reddit.com/r/airthings/comments/1ca1qxu/airthings_will_no_longer_sync_to_wave_plus_wo/

https://www.reddit.com/r/airthings/comments/1i7bf5x/when_did_login_become_a_requirement/

==References==
{{reflist}}

Ally Financial

2025-08-16T02:47:30Z

Someoneontheinternet: /* Data breach */ Fixed+improved grammar, split paragraph

{{StubNotice}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Ally Financial Inc.
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1919
| Industry = Financial services
| Official Website = http://ally.com
| Logo = Ally Financial Logo.svg
}}
'''[[wikipedia:Ally_Financial|Ally Financial Inc.]]''' is a US-based company offering banking, securities, and other financial services through its subsidiaries such as Ally Bank, Ally Invest Advisers Inc. and [[Ally Invest Securities]] LLC.

==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==

===2013 discrimination settlement===
Due to Ally's discriminatory pricing system, more than 235,000 minority borrowers paid higher interest rates for their auto loans between April 2011 and December 2013. The [[wikipedia:Consumer_Financial_Protection_Bureau|Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]] (CFPB) and [[wikipedia:United_States_Department_of_Justice|Department of Justice]] (DOJ) ordered the company to pay $18 million in penalties and $80 million in damages to affected borrowers.<ref>https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-and-doj-order-ally-to-pay-80-million-to-consumers-harmed-by-discriminatory-auto-loan-pricing/</ref><ref>https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/harmed-ally-borrowers-have-been-sent-80-million-in-damages/</ref>

===Data breach===
Ally Financial experienced a data breach in April 2024 that revealed the personal data of millions of its clients.<ref>https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/ally-breach-may-have-leaked-consumer-data-of-billions-suit-says</ref> A [[class action lawsuit]] had been filed by July 2024,<ref>https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/OwensvAllyBanketalDocketNo324cv00811WDNCSep072024CourtDocket?doc_id=X5LVE5J58BA8CP8L7L86STUQPGQ</ref> claiming Ally did not properly secure customers' confidential information, such as Social Security numbers and auto account numbers. The suit also alleged that Ally failed to use computer software available for detecting and warding off cyberattacks, and other measures needed to protect the hardware of its systems. Additionally, customer notifications were sent only with long delay.<ref>https://natlawreview.com/article/ally-financial-faces-class-actions-over-data-breach</ref>

Due to this data breach, customers' personal data was being stolen and sold on the dark web.<ref>https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/ally-breach-may-have-leaked-consumer-data-of-billions-suit-says</ref>
https://www.ally.com/invest/

==See also==

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Ally]]

Miku

2025-08-14T00:08:48Z

Someoneontheinternet: Fixed capitalization, extended description

{{Incomplete}}

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Miku
| Type = Private, For Profit
| Founded = 2018
| Industry = Smart Baby Monitors
| Official Website = https://mikucare.com
| Logo = Miku.jpg
}}
Miku is a private for-profit company that was founded in 2018 by Eric White.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 Oct 2019 |title=Our Founder Shares Why He Built the Miku Smart Baby Monitor |url=https://mikucare.com/blogs/blog/founder-eric-white-miku-baby-monitor |url-status=live |access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=[[Miku]]}}</ref> Miku sells smart baby monitors with features such as night vision, sensors for temperature, humidity and ambient light, a 1080p camera, 7-day video storage, and audio/video recording capabilities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Specs |url=https://mikucare.com/pages/specs |url-status=live |access-date=3 Apr 2025 |website=[[Miku]]}}</ref> Both the Miku Smart Baby Monitor (standard model) and Miku Pro come with a 12-month manufacturer warranty from the date of purchase.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Miku Inc. Limited Warranty |url=https://mikucare.com/pages/warranty |url-status=live |access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=[[Miku]]}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Controversy
!Year
!Background Info
!Aftermath
!Related Article
!Related Video(s)
|-
|Miku Charges subscription for features that were previously free
|10/01/2023
|After being Acquired by Innovative Health Monitoring, a subscription service was added to Miku on October 1, 2023 to allow users who had already purchased their Miku Smart Baby Monitoring device to continue using previously free features through the Miku app such as Live Breathing,Sleep Tracking, and push notifications when your baby wakes up. Miku users who had already purchased Miku Care+ were not affected by this new subscription.
|Ongoing
|[https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/16zkzj9/my_400_baby_monitor_has_locked_previously_free/ My $400 baby monitor has locked previously free features behind a monthly subscription]<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 Oct 2023 |title=My $400 baby monitor has locked previously free features behind a monthly subscription. |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/16zkzj9/my_400_baby_monitor_has_locked_previously_free/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=Old Reddit}}</ref>
[https://assets.mikucloud.com/Innovative_Health_Monitoring-Letter_to_Customers.pdf The document referenced in the reddit post (IHM Acquisition PDF)]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter to Customers |url=https://assets.mikucloud.com/Innovative_Health_Monitoring-Letter_to_Customers.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010081331/https://assets.mikucloud.com/Innovative_Health_Monitoring-Letter_to_Customers.pdf |archive-date=10 Oct 2023 |access-date=4 Apr 2025}}</ref>

|[https://youtube.com/watch?v=nigJMu0lUbM they made a $400 baby monitor a subscription...]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |date=5 Oct 2023 |title=they made a $400 baby monitor a subscription... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nigJMu0lUbM |url-status=live |access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Miku Charges Subscription for Features that were Previously Free==
Through the acquisition of Miku Inc by Innovative Health Monitoring LLC, Miku sent out an email notice to all of their users on September 15'th 2023 detailing changes to Miku starting October 1'st 2023. These changes would

===Changes Made===
Introduced a subscription service which would allow new users to continue using Miku features that were previously free.
#Updated Free features:
#*Live HD video and audio streaming (available locally only unless the customer's smartphone or tablet is operating on the same wireless network as the monitoring device)
#Updated Subscription Membership features At '''<u>$9.99</u>''' per month:
#*Live HD video and audio (local and remote access);
#*two-way talk;
#*live breathing waveform;
#*sleep and health analytics;
#*environmental analytics;
#*various notifications and alerts;
#*sounds and lullabies;
#*three days of video storage;
#*Care+ access;
#*wellness trends.;
#*tips from medical and sleep experts; and
#*wellness tracking tools (height, weight, feeding, body temp, diaper changes)
#Offer access to higher tier memberships that include longer term video storage at the following levels:
#*Monthly Membership + 30 days of video storage ($14.99 per month);
#*Monthly Membership + 1 Year of video storage ($19.99 per month); and
#*Monthly Membership + Unlimited video storage ($29.99 per month)
===Customer Response===
Many customers were displeased with the subscription service added to Miku. Leading to products being returned and customers emailing Innovative Health Monitoring to voice their opinions with the company.

Due to these subscription changes being instituted through automatic updates to the Miku mobile application, turning off automatic updates and refusing to update the Miku app would keep the features that were now locked behind a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Miku bought out and now charging a subscription for basic features. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/daddit/comments/16jr4vy/miku_bought_out_and_now_charging_a_subscription/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

===Broader Implications===
ToDO

==References==
<references />

EBay opts-in users for AI training

2025-08-13T23:59:48Z

Someoneontheinternet: Changed future to past tense

On the 21st of April, 2025, eBay's privacy policy was updated to allow eBay to use personal data for the training of their in-house and third-party AIs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 Apr 2025 |title=User Privacy Notice: 12. eBay and AI |url=https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-privacy-notice-privacy-policy?id=4260#section12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421154108/https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-privacy-notice-privacy-policy?id=4260 |archive-date=21 Apr 2025 |website=eBay}}</ref>

==Privacy policy update==
In section 12, "eBay and AI", the following is stated about the relation to individual rights:<blockquote>
You have rights with regard to your personal data. See Section 8. Rights as a data subject above for more details. Your rights also include the right to object - opens in new window or tab to our processing of your personal data for AI development and training purposes.</blockquote>

===EBay's response: right to object===
This right to object is available for those in Europe (EEC) and the UK. You can opt out of their use of your personal data, by going to [https://accountsettings.ebay.co.uk/ai-preferences the ai preferences on the account settings page].

==Legality==
The idea of AI opt in by default is controversial in Europe, as the [[GDPR]] sets a high bar for default opt-in consent.

==Consumer response==
{{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}}

==References==
<references />
[[Category:EBay]]

Cisco Systems, Inc.

2025-08-12T01:38:29Z

Someoneontheinternet: Fixed formatting

{{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>

====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]]

VRChat

2025-06-15T19:39:25Z

Someoneontheinternet: Changed description in introductory sentence, fixed capitalization/punctuation

{{Incomplete}}

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = VRChat
| Type = Private
| Founded = 2014
| Industry = Entertainment Software
| Official Website = https://hello.vrchat.com/
| Logo = VRChat_Logo.svg
}}

'''{{Wplink|VRChat}}''' is a digital application first released in 2014 by VRChat, Inc. While it is designed primarily for virtual reality, it is also available for desktop and mobile devices. The game focuses on social interaction and user generated content, such as worlds and avatars.

==Forced Arbitration==
VRChat's terms of service<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Nov 2024 |title=Terms of Service |url=https://hello.vrchat.com/legal |url-status=live |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=[[VRChat]]}}</ref> include a [[Forced Arbitration|forced arbitration]] clause with a [[class action|class-action]] waiver. To opt out, you must send a letter containing your full legal name and your email address to VRChat Inc. within 30 days of agreeing to the TOS.

==Easy Anti-Cheat Controversy==
On July 25, 2022, VRChat announced The VRChat Security Update. This update would force all PC players into running Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC for short) on their systems. Easy Anti-Cheat is a [[Kernel Level Anti-Cheats|kernel level anti-cheat]] developed by [[Epic Games, Inc.|Epic Games]]. In their blogpost VRChat stated the update was done to block the use of modified clients and to improve user security by blocking malicious clients.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 Jul 2022 |title=The VRChat Security Update |url=https://hello.vrchat.com/blog/vrchat-security-update |url-status=live |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=[[VRChat]]}}</ref> While this update succeeded in blocking PC clients, many of the clients were very popular at the time and offered many quality of life features. EAC has also raised numerous privacy concerns for how it operates on a user's system and what type of data it collects. EAC is also prone to crashing and causing blue screens. This update also failed to cover the Meta Quest version of the game, which some malicious clients migrated to. Notably, clients used to {{Wplink|Ripping|rip}} avatars and user generated assets.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Products]]

YouTube

2025-06-15T19:26:17Z

Someoneontheinternet: /* Demonetization and censorship */ Changed punctuation, clarified "transgender" instead of "trans" for viewers that may not recognize the shortened word

{{StubNotice}}

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''[[wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]]''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>[[wikipedia:YouTube|"YouTube"]] - wikipedia.org -accessed 2025-01-30</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Incidents==

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
:<i>See also: [[Advertising overload|Advertising Overload]]</i>
Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ How YouTube Works]</ref> but because the platform is run by a publicly shared parent company, it is forced to grow its revenue by any means necessary. This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Jordan |date=20 Jan 2024 |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=33rd Square}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Aamir |date=27 Jan 2025 |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Android Authority}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dirscherl |first=Hans-Christian Dirscherl |last2=Lee |first2=Joel |date=28 Jan 2025 |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=PCWorld}}</ref>), increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Arol |date=26 Apr 2024 |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=How-To-Geek}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=@T3rr0r |date=17 Oct 2021 |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Knoblauch |first=Max |date=14 Jun 2024 |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Sherwood News}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=@Saberspark |date=18 Sep 2021 |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEB YouTube Premium]</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> - they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments. YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Anurag |date=22 Aug 2024 |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Dexerto}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beyond The Internet |date=22 Feb 2025 |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace… |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Adamya |date=27 Jan 2025 |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Android Authority}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Saberspark |date=Mar 31, 2025 |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |access-date=Apr 6, 2025 |work=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jakob_G |date=Dec 12, 2023 |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |access-date=Apr 7, 2025 |website=Reddit - r/YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=JerryRigEverything |date=Mar 9, 2023 |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |access-date=Apr 7, 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=LoganAH |date=Dec 22, 2023 |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |access-date=Apr 7, 2025 |website=Reddit - r/YouTube}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deep Humor |date=24 Feb 2025 |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=@Sealow |date=29 Nov 2017 |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">[https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl Relation between a YouTube video’s monetisation status and their algorithm promotion]</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Disney |first=Malia |date=4 May 2018 |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=archive.yr.media}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cantz |first=Randy |date=1 May 2018 |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Berkeley Political Review}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Julia |date=20 Feb 2019 |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the ''Digital Millennium Copyright Act'' (DMCA), they decided to often handle takedown requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Jines |first=Chuck |date=Mar 4, 2025 |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |access-date=Mar 28, 2025 |work=Chuck Jines}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA takedowns of content,<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/itanshi |date=Mar 27, 2017 |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |access-date=Mar 28, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=The Civil Rights Lawyer |date=Jul 21, 2021 |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |access-date=Mar 28, 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> even going so far as to have Bungie call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brodkin |first=John |date=Mar 28, 2022 |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against Destiny takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |access-date=Mar 28, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Andy |first=Maxwell |date=Jun 24, 2022 |title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |access-date=Mar 28, 2025 |work=Torrent Freak}}</ref> These takedown requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

Related to the incessant usage of ads on the platform and multitudes of harmful and scam ads that have gotten through YouTube's advertising system, consumers have been needing to use ad blockers while on the platform merely to watch their videos. Unfortunately, Google sparked a game of cat and mouse, and has been attempting to integrate a variant of DRM onto YouTube to make consumers watch ads.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Flaherty |first=Kate |date=20 Jun 2024 |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=1 Nov 2023 |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=ArsTechnica}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> However, these attempts usually only work for a short period of time before ad blocking tools find new ways to circumvent the advertisements,<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 May 2024 |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Brave Community}}</ref> resulting in these actions taking place reflecting the [[wikipedia:Streisand_effect | Streisand effect.]]<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

There have also been attempts to inject ads directly into video streams, which has disrupted extensions such as SponsorBlock, a community-driven tool for automatically skipping sponsored segments. Users submit timestamps marking the start and end of sponsored segments. The add-on's functionality is severely weakened when personalized ads, which have different durations and appear at varying timestamps for individual viewers, are injected directly into video streams.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has directly confirmed attempts to harm the experience of users who use ad blockers and also Firefox via intentionally slowing down connection speeds by 5 seconds.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile app allows you to download videos for offline consumption if you have a YouTube Premium subscription.<ref name=":0">[https://www.youtube.com/premium YouTube Premium] </ref> However, the app's DRM prevents you from watching downloaded videos, unless the app has "phoned home" in the last 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]]}}</ref> This caveat is not clearly disclosed on the main YouTube Premium page, instead requiring the user to navigate support articles to discover this limitation.

====Universal DRM testing====
YouTube on TV is a HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=GitHub}}</ref> One XBox 360 user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the Creative Commons licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions |url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On November 10 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305223738/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=2025-03-05 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=YouTube Official Blog}}</ref>

According to YouTube. this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" />

===Anti-Features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. This feature is activated by default (opt-out instead of opt-in).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-04 |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=2025-04-01 |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=YouTube Hep}}</ref>

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results. If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube stared to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch. This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered, especially if it still has low view counts, since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===Rampant bots===
For the first few moments of a video being published on the platform, the comments section of the video is swarmed by a legion of bots that aim to scam or garner attention from viewers. Most of these bots employ similar tactics to achieve their goals such as using popular public figures and/or scantly dressed women as their profile pictures and copy-pasting the most liked comments on the video. These bots also spam comments that are often irrelevant to the YouTube channel or the subject matter of the video. Despite repeated requests from creators and communities alike, YouTube still has yet to implement any measures against these bots. Hence YouTubers and their teams have to manually moderate the comments on each individual video.

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos:===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />
[[Category:Google]]

Google Chrome

2025-06-14T22:12:48Z

Someoneontheinternet: Added short description, made introductory sentence more concise.

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
| Release Year =2008
| Product Type =Web Browser
| In Production =Yes
| Official Website =https://www.google.com/chrome/
| Logo =Google Chrome logo and wordmark (2015).png
|short_description=Search engine}}'''[[wikipedia:Google_Chrome|Google Chrome]]''' is a web browser created by [[Google]]. Since its inception, it has become the most used browser on the internet by a large margin.
==Consumer impact summary==
===User freedom===
Chrome significantly impacts user freedom through its default settings, extension policies, and integration with Google's ecosystem. The browser's dominance allows Google to influence web standards, potentially creating a web environment that works best with Chrome.<ref name=":1">Munir, S. et al. (2024). "Google's Chrome Antitrust Paradox". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381517906_Google's_Chrome_Antitrust_Paradox</ref> Users face potential lock-in through seamless integration with Google services, making switching to alternative browsers more difficult. Additionally, Google's control over Chrome's extension ecosystem has raised concerns, particularly when the company has proposed changes that would limit the effectiveness of ad-blocking extensions, potentially prioritizing Google's advertising business over user choice.<ref name=":2">Danco, A. (2019, June 1). "Google Chrome, the perfect antitrust villain?". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://alexdanco.com/2019/05/30/google-chrome-the-perfect-antitrust-villain/</ref>
===User privacy===
Chrome's privacy practices have been a significant concern for consumer advocates. As a Google product, Chrome collects substantial user data including browsing history, search queries, and site visits to serve targeted advertisements and improve Google services.<ref name=":3">Campaignsoftheworld.com. (2023, March 26). "The Dark Side of Google: A Closer Look at Privacy Concerns". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://campaignsoftheworld.com/news/the-dark-side-of-google/</ref> The browser's implementation of privacy features like "Do Not Track" has been criticized for being ineffective, as Google noted that "many websites and web services, including Google's, don't change their behavior when they receive a Do Not Track request."<ref name=":4">Google. "Turn 'Do Not Track' on or off - Computer - Google Chrome Help". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2790761</ref> Additionally, Chrome's privacy initiatives like the Privacy Sandbox have been viewed skeptically by privacy advocates who argue that these proposals often protect Google's business interests rather than user privacy.<ref name=":5">Electronic Frontier Foundation. (2020, July 10). "Don't Play in Google's Privacy Sandbox". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/dont-play-googles-privacy-sandbox-1</ref>
===Business model===
Chrome's business model is deeply integrated with Google's broader advertising ecosystem. The browser serves as a critical data collection point for Google's advertising business, which generates the majority of the company's revenue.<ref name=":6">CEOToday Magazine. (2024, November 20). "DOJ Pushes Google to Sell Chrome and Break Monopoly". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2024/11/google-faces-doj-antitrust-push-will-chrome-ai-and-android-be-broken-apart/</ref> Chrome's default settings direct users to Google Search, which in turn displays Google advertisements. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where Chrome usage fuels Google's search dominance, which consequently enhances its advertising business. The connection between Chrome and Google's advertising business has also influenced browser design decisions, such as how Chrome handles cookies and tracking, which may prioritize advertising effectiveness over user privacy.<ref name=":7">Quartz. (2022, July 20). "What if antitrust regulators forced Google to sell Chrome?". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://qz.com/1930645/what-happens-to-google-if-regulators-force-it-to-sell-off-chrome</ref>
===Market control===
Chrome's dominant market position gives Google significant control over web standards and browser technology. With approximately 65% global market share as of 2025, Chrome has become the de facto standard browser for many users and developers.<ref name=":0">Statista. (2024, June 21). "Market share of leading internet browsers in the United States and worldwide as of August 2024". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/276738/worldwide-and-us-market-share-of-leading-internet-browsers/</ref> This market control allows Google to influence the direction of web technology development, often in ways that benefit its business interests. For example, Google's proposals for replacing third-party cookies through its Privacy Sandbox initiative have faced criticism for potentially strengthening Google's position while weakening competitors in the advertising ecosystem.<ref name=":8">Wikipedia. (2024, November 15). "Privacy Sandbox". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_Sandbox</ref> Chrome's market dominance has attracted significant antitrust scrutiny, with the U.S. Department of Justice pushing for Google to divest Chrome as part of remedies following an antitrust case that found Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search.<ref name=":9">CNBC. (2024, November 21). "DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/20/doj-pushes-for-google-to-break-off-chrome-browser-after-antitrust-case.html</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Anti-Competitive Practices===
Google uses the market dominance of their unrelated products and services, such as web search or cloud storage services, to display intrusive messages such as popups aimed to annoy users to the point where they give up and change to Chrome.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-08-19 |title=How do I stop Google pop ups asking me to switch my browser to Chrome? |url=https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/175747071/how-do-i-stop-google-pop-ups-asking-me-to-switch-my-browser-to-chrome?hl=en |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Google Support Community}}</ref> Not because they want to, but to escape the deliberate obstructions Google creates for them when accessing Google services with competing browsers.

Moreover, Google has in the past deliberately degraded performance of their video platform [[YouTube]] for users accessing the website using the competing Firefox browser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Jake |date=2023-11-21 |title=How to Stop Google From Artificially Slowing Down YouTube |url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/stop-google-slowing-down-youtube-firefox-edge |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=LifeHacker}}</ref>

===Discontinuation of Manifest V2 support (''2024'')===
Google, whose main business is online advertising, has discontinued support for browser extensions using the Manifest V2 standard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manifest V2 support timeline |url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]]}}</ref> This renders advertising/tracking blockers such as uBlock Origin unusable and deactivates the corresponding plugins on update. Only versions with very limited blocking functionality remain usable.

Users who wish to continue to use the web without their every step being traced by Google and other advertising syndicates have no other option but to switch to a different browser such as [[Mozilla]] Firefox or Vivaldi, which have all pledged to retain full Manifest V2 compatibility in their browsers.

==See also==
{{Placeholder box|Link to relevant theme articles or products with similar incidents.}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Google Chromebook

2025-05-20T22:47:46Z

Someoneontheinternet: Reworded first sentence with a more complete version.

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
| Release Year =
| Product Type =
| In Production =
| Official Website =
| Logo =
}}A certain hidden extension that was forcibly installed onto a Chromebook by Google essentially '''bricked that Chromebook.'''

The user's complaint is that the machine has become hot and that the extra load has essentially made it unusable. For an accurate account I refer you to the source material:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43514087

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of products part of the product line.

Touch on relevant topics like:
* User Freedom
* User Privacy
* Business Model
* Market Control}}

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product line. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
{{Placeholder box|Replace the placeholder text in the sections below with the incidents that affect this product line and a short summary. Also replace the link so it point to the right company article.}}
===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

Incidents affecting all of the company's products can be found in the company article: [[Company article]]
==Products==
{{Placeholder box|This is a list of the products with articles on this wiki.
* [[Example product one]] (release date): Short summary of the product's incidents.
* [[Example product two]] (release date):}}

==See also==
{{Placeholder box|Link to relevant theme articles or product lines with similar incidents.}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Anti-Consumer Practices]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Laptops]]
[[Category:Planned obsolescence]]

Samsung SmartCam

2025-05-20T22:43:58Z

Someoneontheinternet: Removed triple question marks in front of the period

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
| Release Year = 2013<ref name="release">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/01/samsung-home-security-smartcam/|title=Samsung's WiFi Home Security SmartCam -- Easy Setup, Works Great|first=James|last=Kelly|date=2013-01-21|work=Wired|access-date=2025-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223120128/https://www.wired.com/2013/01/samsung-home-security-smartcam/|archive-date=2025-02-23|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Product Type = Wireless security camera
| In Production = No
| Official Website = https://www.samsung.com/us/smart-home/security/cameras/smartcam-hd-pro-1080p-full-hd-wifi-camera-snh-p6410bn/
| Logo = QuestionMark.svg
}}
'''Samsung SmartCam'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s products are very well designed devices that record good quality videos and save them to a local microSD card in a compressed format. You can access your camera remotely using a mobile app. Such IP cameras were connecting to your local private network using wifi or LAN cable.

Samsung stopped selling them and now they appear to be under the wisenet brand. The firmware is built in such a way that blocks users registering the camera on their application if the server is not sending the confirmation to the app.

The initial procedure to set up an account asked users to install an internet explorer plugin that was working only for versions less than 10. That option would still allow customers to use their cameras by using a virtual machine with an old Windows OS.

Late 2024 the android application posted a new message stating that from 1 of January 2025 some models will no longer be supported "due to compatibility issues. We apologize for any inconvenience"

==Consumer impact summary==
<nowiki>*</nowiki> User Freedom: All users using older models have their access removed without alternatives

<nowiki>*</nowiki> User Privacy: No security breaches have been announced.

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Business Model: The products are self sufficient and they can work for many many years if the firmware is released to use a local installed server.

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Market Control: The company forces clients to purchase new products by blocking the usage of the old ones.

==Incidents==
[[File:Samsung smartcam error.png|thumb]]

===Incident===
The first incident clients experienced was about the web application plugin built only for Internet Explorer and that it did not receive any updates or fixes.
Samsung forum for dropping support for accessing the camera from web browser https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Samsung-Apps-and-Services/Security-camera-not-working-on-Edge/td-p/2535288

===Incident===
The second major change on their android mobile app was dropping support for live view from the camera if the phone was not connected to the same network as the camera. This was still allowing customers to liveview the recordings from the camera using VPN.

Samsung forum customers complaining about losing their access to their home security system. https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Samsung-Apps-and-Services/Viewing-software-for-SNH-V6410PN-smartcam-app-no-longer/td-p/2925583/page/5

===Incident===
The third change was the announcement where they will simply drop support for some old models of the cameras.

Such cameras are still sold on ebay and they are in perfect condition but they cannot be used by any buyers as the application will simply not find them on your network because the servers are not forwarding the message to your app.

Some users also experience loss of their accounts credentials or servers were turned off.

==Products==
1080p Camera https://www.samsung.com/us/smart-home/security/cameras/smartcam-hd-pro-1080p-full-hd-wifi-camera-snh-p6410bn/

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

User:Someoneontheinternet

2025-05-20T22:34:43Z

Someoneontheinternet: Removed link to old wiki

YouTube

2025-02-09T03:37:06Z

Someoneontheinternet: /* Crackdown against ad-blockers */ Hyperlinked "Streisand effect" to its Wikipedia article, since it doesn't have a dedicated article on the CAT wiki.

User talk:Someoneontheinternet

2025-02-08T19:32:07Z

Someoneontheinternet: Created page

Xiaomi

2025-02-08T19:26:21Z

Someoneontheinternet: Fixed punctuation

Xiaomi is a China-based manufacturer and designer of consumer electronics and software. As of 2021, it is the second largest phone manufacturer in the world.<ref>https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/xiaomi-overtakes-apple-as-the-worlds-number-two-smartphone-maker/</ref>
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Xiaomi
| Type = Public
| Founded = 2010
| Industry = Technology
| Official Website = https://www.mi.com/us/
| Logo = Xiaomi logo (2021-).png
}}

==Controversies==

===Kernel disclosure issues===
''Main Article: [[Xiaomi's disclosure of kernel sources]]''

Although Xiaomi's devices run on an operating system based on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux Linux] kernel, which is licensed under [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html GPLv2], the company does not disclose all of their operating system source code on GitHub, as required by GPL terms.

===Unlocking restrictions===
''Main article: [[Xiaomi Phone unlock requirements and procedure]]''

Phones manufactured come with an unlockable bootloader, however the unlocking process is heavily restricted.

===Electric vehicle conditional serialization===
Owners of the electric vehicle [[Xiaomi SU7]] report authentication errors after replacing parts such as headlights. Officials have said the Xiaomi SU7 can not complete over the air software updates unless upgradeable parts have Xiaomi approved identification keys.<ref>https://carnewschina.com/2024/08/08/xiaomi-su7-cannot-do-ota-due-to-changed-lights-and-owners-worry-about-flooding-their-frunk/</ref><ref>https://news.mydrivers.com/1/996/996066.htm</ref>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Mobile phone manufacturers]]

Kroger Grocery store electronic shelf labels & facial recognition

2025-01-30T02:33:41Z

Someoneontheinternet: Removed double article. Tweaked sentence at the end

==What Kroger Claims They Are Doing with ESLs & Facial Recognition==
===Introduction===
Kroger has introduced '''Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs)''' and '''facial recognition cameras''' in their stores. The company claims this technology is designed to ''improve customer experience'' and ''lower prices''. However, concerns have been raised about '''price manipulation, privacy violations, and potential discrimination'''.<ref name="Gizmodo2024">[https://gizmodo.com/krogers-plan-to-use-facial-recognition-raises-concerns-about-surge-pricing-2000512685 Gizmodo: Kroger's Plan to Use Facial Recognition Raises Concerns About Surge Pricing] (October 16, 2024)</ref>

This page summarizes what Kroger claims about this technology, based on official statements and reports.

===1. Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs)===
====What it is====
Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) are digital price tags that allow for '''instant price changes''' remotely. They are controlled via a cloud-based system, removing the need for employees to manually update prices.

====What Kroger says they are using it for====

*'''Lowering prices:''' ESLs allow for quick adjustments to make shopping more affordable.
*'''Preventing waste:''' Enables automatic markdowns for expiring products.
*'''Competitive pricing:''' Responding to supplier cost changes and competitor pricing.
*'''Customer benefits:''' Showing personalized coupons and promotions based on purchase history.

====Concerns====

*'''Surge Pricing:''' ESLs enable real-time price increases during peak demand (e.g., higher prices on turkeys before Thanksgiving).<ref name="CNN2024">[https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/22/business/surge-pricing-groceries-nightcap/index.html CNN: Grocery Surge Pricing - Should Shoppers Be Worried?] (August 22, 2024)</ref>
*'''Confusing price changes:''' A product may have different prices throughout the day, making it harder for customers to compare & plan.
*'''Hidden price discrimination:''' ESLs could be used to charge different customers different prices, depending on their shopping habits.

===2. Facial Recognition & Customer Tracking===
====What it is====
Cameras inside digital shelf displays ('''Kroger EDGE system''') use AI to analyze '''age, gender, & emotional response''' to advertisements.

====What Kroger says they are using it for====

*'''Personalized advertising:''' Showing promotions based on '''age and gender'''.
*'''Security:''' Detecting '''repeat shoplifters''' to prevent theft.
*'''Improved shopping experience:''' Analyzing customer engagement to offer better product placement.

====Concerns====

*'''Privacy violations:''' Customers may be tracked without explicit consent.<ref name="SenateLetter">[https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/warren_casey_letter_to_kroger_re_electronic_shelving_and_price_gouging.pdf Senate Letter: Warren & Casey Demand Kroger Explain Surge Pricing & Data Tracking] (August 5, 2024)</ref>
*'''Discriminatory pricing:''' AI could be used to adjust prices based on perceived wealth or shopping behavior.<ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41272-019-00224-3</ref>
*'''Consumer profiling:''' Creates detailed customer profiles that could be sold to third-party advertisers.

===3. Kroger's Official Response===

*'''Denies "surge pricing":''' Kroger states ESLs are meant to '''reduce''' costs, not raise them.<ref name="Gizmodo2024" />
*'''Claims facial recognition is only used for advertising, not tracking individuals.'''
*'''Insists the goal is to "help customers save money."'''

====Skeptical Questions====

*If ESLs can change prices dynamically, '''what prevents Kroger from raising prices at peak hours?'''
*If facial recognition is "just for ads," '''why not allow customers to opt out?'''
*Is this about helping customers or a '''corporate strategy to maximize profit?'''

===Primary privacy concern:===

*Kroger has introduced technology that allows customers to be tracked & profiled during their shopping experience while prices are changed on the fly.

==References==
{{reflist}}

Forced eSIMs

2025-01-28T03:48:48Z

Someoneontheinternet: Tried to fix some of the many grammar and spelling errors. I wonder who created this article.

{{StubNotice}}

==Hardware==

===Understanding modern sim card & [[wikipedia:ESIM|'''eSIM''' ('''embedded SIM''')]] hardware.===
The current global modern standard by market adoption for SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards are nano sim form factor, universal integrated circuit card (UICC) SOC's (system on a chip) cards. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card#Developments</ref> <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_integrated_circuit_card</ref> this is the smaller sim card you started seeing in every handset from every major phone manufacturer beginning with hardware releases after 2012.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card#Nano-SIM</ref> just like your phone, computer etc. these cards have their own cpu ram rom and digital I/o. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_integrated_circuit_card#design</ref> '''eUICC''' (embedded UICC) also known as E-SIM cards are a form of highly re-programmable SIM typically as [[wikipedia:Ball_grid_array|BGA]] IC chips soldered directly to the phones logic board during manufacturing.

===iPhone===
Apple has introduced eUICC chips & eSIM support alongside the release of the iPhone 12 series in 2020. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_12

https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_12-10509.php

https://www.apple.com/by/iphone-12/specs/</ref> Apple has continued this feature to date. <ref>https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?chkESIM=selected&chkReview=selected&sMakers=48&sAvailabilities=1,2&s5Gs=0&idCardslot=3</ref> In 2022, with the release of the iPhone 14 series USA model, iPhones dropped hardware support of user replaceable UICC nano sim cards.<ref>https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_14-11861.php

https://support.apple.com/en-us/118669</ref> "'''iPhone 14''' models and later that are '''eSIM only''' can activate without a Wi-Fi network. How to set up an '''eSIM''' on '''iPhone'''." <ref>https://support.apple.com/en-us/118669</ref>(the normal sim card most US and international users are familiar with.) in all other apple model varieties, INTERNATIONAL and CHINA. nano-sim remained supported outside the United States; by the 14 series, 15 series and 16 series. (most recent release as of writing 1/26/25.)

This transition raises further concerns about potentials for abuse if unregulated through [[wikipedia:Vendor_lock-in|Vendor lock in]], [[planned obsolescence]], and [[Anti competitive behavior]] in the form of [[Used market resisctions|used market restrictions]] <ref name=":0">https://www.apple.com/privacy/control/</ref><ref name=":1">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence</ref>

===Future speculation===
'''''-NOTE- the sources below are not to this wiki's overall standards of credibility and will likely be changed to first party sources from the manufacturer later once more reliable information is available'''''

*iPhone 17 Air:

According to unofficial preliminary specifications for the iPhone 17 Air, support for nano-sim will be entirely dropped for the model across the world.<ref>https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_17_air-13502.php

https://support.apple.com/en-us/101569</ref> <ref>https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-17/#sim_tray

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apples-thin-iphone-has-no-physical-sims-that-could-dampen-china-sales</ref> This is based on rumors and speculations, however the physical size of the device has been disclosed as "5.5mm" by Ming-Chi Kuo (a medium tech trade blogger described as "TF International Securities analyst who shares observations and predictions of tech industry trends"), which would make nano-sim support a significant enough engineering challenge, as it's widely considered unviable and/or unlikely. <ref>https://medium.com/@mingchikuo/apple%E5%9C%A82025%E5%B9%B4%E5%8F%AF%E8%83%BD%E5%B0%87%E9%9D%A2%E8%87%A8%E6%9B%B4%E7%82%BA%E5%9A%B4%E5%B3%BB%E7%9A%84%E6%8C%91%E6%88%B0-%E9%A0%88%E8%AC%B9%E6%85%8E%E9%9D%A2%E5%B0%8D%E5%B8%82%E5%A0%B4%E5%85%88%E5%89%8D%E9%81%8E%E5%BA%A6%E6%A8%82%E8%A7%80%E5%B0%8E%E8%87%B4%E7%9A%84%E6%BD%9B%E5%9C%A8%E4%B8%8B%E8%A1%8C%E9%A2%A8%E9%9A%AA-6256c091f06d</ref>

'''''End note -'''''

Industry transition to '''Integrated SIM (iSIM)''' to the end user this is indistinguishable to EUICC e-sims however with isim the soc is embedded directly in the phones SOC or CPU dye. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESIM</ref> this unfortunately irreversibly even by highly technical means such as microsoldering ties data identifiers like a sim id history with the device IMEI and hardware id's <ref>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9847909/#sec001</ref> Which this transition would raise further concerns about potentials for abuse if unregulated through [[wikipedia:Vendor_lock-in|Vendor lock in]], [[planned obsolescence]], and [[Anti competitive behavior]] in the form of [[Used market resisctions|used market restrictions]] <ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

===Samsung Galaxy===
Samsung introduced e-sim support in 2020 with the Galaxy s20 series of phones and continues nano sim support to the current day as of writing ( with 2025's S25 series of Galaxy phones.) <ref>https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung-phones-9.php</ref>

===Google Pixel===
all google pixel phones currently support nano sim <ref>[https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7086887?hl=en#:~:text=You%20can%20connect%20your%20phone,of%20getting%20a%20new%20one. https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7086887?hl=en#:~:text=You%20can%20connect%20your%20phone,of%20getting%20a%20new%20one.]</ref>

==Mobile carriers & Networks==

===United states Mobile phone networks===
A fairly recent behavior of major mobile carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) is that they may sometimes supply devices with a digital SIM card, or eSIM card without the option of a traditional nano sim alternative.{{Citation needed}}

===Europe union Mobile phone networks{{Citation needed}}===
euicc esim tech is basically not yet widely adopted in this market *

===China's Mobile phone networks===
euicc esim tech is basically not yet widely adopted in this market *

==References==
{{reflist}}

User:Someoneontheinternet

2025-01-20T05:06:08Z

Someoneontheinternet: Updated subjective "most significant edit" sentence

I am just someone on the Internet who is excited to see this project put at least a dent in this problem of "modern" consumer "protection." I will look mostly for grammar/spelling errors and correct them.

Probably my most significant edit so far is [https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/index.php?title=Adobe_Firefly&diff=prev&oldid=3248 adding more information from Adobe Fireflys first source.]

Talk:Valve removes arbitration requirement from Steam Subscriber Agreement

2025-01-20T04:55:48Z

Someoneontheinternet: Clarified a sentence from the page I created on the last edit and forgot to include a summary for :/

== From Someoneontheinternet ==
I wonder if the positive incident should be deleted since it's talking about a positive thing that Steam has done, as opposed to a negative action. Or maybe it's just a coincidence that almost everything on this website is negative.

Talk:Valve removes arbitration requirement from Steam Subscriber Agreement

2025-01-20T04:54:04Z

Someoneontheinternet: Created page with "== From Someoneontheinternet == I wonder if the positive incident should be deleted since it's talking about a positive thing that Steam has done, as opposed to a negative action. Or maybe it's just a coincidence that almost everything on here is negative."

User:Someoneontheinternet

2025-01-20T04:46:07Z

Someoneontheinternet: Added a "most significant edit" sentence (based off my opinion)

I am just someone on the Internet who is excited to see this project put at least a dent in this problem of "modern" consumer "protection." I will look mostly for grammar/spelling errors and correct them.

Probably my most significant edit so far is [https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/index.php?title=Logitech_G_HUB&diff=prev&oldid=3220 adding punctuation in Logitech G Hub to make it a bit more readable.]

Logitech G HUB

2025-01-20T04:29:58Z

Someoneontheinternet: Added some punctuation to make sentences clearer to read

Logitech increasingly forces consumers to use its proprietary G HUB application, especially with gaming peripherals. The app needs to be installed in order to do some very basic device configuration, such as adjusting or turning off LEDs on mice and keyboards. G HUB collects user data.<ref>https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/legal/privacy-policy.html</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

User:Someoneontheinternet

2025-01-14T23:44:29Z

Someoneontheinternet: Added a sentence

Someone on the Internet who is excited to see this project put at least a dent in this problem of "modern" consumer "protection." They will look mostly for grammar/spelling errors and correct them.

User:Someoneontheinternet

2025-01-14T23:42:06Z

Someoneontheinternet: Created account page

Someone on the Internet who is excited to see this put at least a dent in this problem of "modern" consumer "protection."