iFixIt, other groups want FTC to issue guidelines on tethering software

A coalition of consumer protection and anti-waste organizations wants the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on “software tethering,” the practice of connecting hardware functionality to external software, often rendering the products unusable when software updates stop.

Groups including Consumer Reports, iFixIt, US PIRG, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Economic Justice, and Californians Against Waste have signed on to a letter asking the FTC to “create clear guidelines” on software tethering. “While the FTC has taken some limited action on this issue, the lack of clarity and enforcement has created an ecosystem in which consumers cannot reliably count on the connected products they purchase to last,” the letter reads.

The letter lists a number of products whose functionality has been limited—or eliminated entirely—by this practice. In some cases, like the $1,695 Snoo gondola, customers “discovered that some of the features originally advertised in the product” would soon be locked away behind a monthly subscription. In other cases, like the Juicero juicer, products went unsupported and became virtually useless after the startups behind them shut down.

“Manufacturers are increasingly using software to force us to use technology in ways that are most profitable for them,” Lucas Rockett Gutterman, director of Designed to Last at US PIRG, said in an emailed statement. “If we want to stop the tech industry from forcing us to replace products that still work, we must stand up for consumers’ right to get what we paid for in the connected era.”

The authors also note that even large, established companies like Google are killing certain products — and their support — leaving customers with a waste of money, and they note that smart home products like large appliances are particularly susceptible to this. “For larger products, the uncertainty of when these products might fail means losing a significant investment and creating literally tons of waste,” the letter reads. An upcoming Consumer Reports study cited in the letter found that of 22 major smart home appliance manufacturers, only three have provided a set period for when they will provide cybersecurity and software updates. Four others have said they will provide support and firmware updates for their products for an unspecified period of time.

“We expect this problem to worsen over time as more companies create ‘smart’ products that connect to the internet or are controlled by apps,” the letter reads. To address this, the groups suggest the FTC:

“Consumers are already being deceived by outdated software,” the letter reads, “and without guidance and enforcement, we see companies risk selling connected devices they have no intention of endorsing.”