The article discusses concerns regarding companies employing 'bricking' tactics to limit user modifications of personal devices, with commentary from experts advocating for consumer rights. Notably, Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Victoria Noble argues that user agreements shouldn't strip away rights typically associated with ownership. Despite numerous complaints from consumer groups to regulatory bodies like the FTC, little action has been taken. Experts speculate on the motivations behind such restrictive practices, suggesting they serve more to intimidate users rather than result in widespread device bricking, pointing to the potential for public backlash against such measures.
Unfortunately, 'bricking' personal devices to limit users' rights and control their behavior is nothing new," Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Victoria Noble told Ars Technica.
Companies should not use EULAs to strip people of rights that we normally associate with ownership, like the right to tinker with or modify their own personal devices," Noble told Ars.
In practice, I expect this kind of thing is more about scaring people away from jailbreaking and modifying their systems and that Nintendo is unlikely to go about bricking large volumes of devices, even if they technically have the right to," Loiterman said.
Just because they put a remedy in the EULA doesn't mean they will certainly use it either," attorney Mark Methenitis said.
Collection
[
|
...
]