Dan Gillmor

Latest reminder that if you buy an appliance of any kind that has an Internet connection, you are not the owner. You should understand that the seller can -- and many do -- remotely disable it or extort a "subscription" fee at any point.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/07/firmware-update-hinders-echelon-smart-home-gym-equipments-ability-to-work-offline/

This should be illegal, period.

Echelon kills smart home gym equipment offline capabilities with update

Update also blocks compatibility with popular third-party apps.

Ars Technica
Jul 26 at 11:23pmFedica
Show threadJo with elbows up & chin upJul 27
@dangillmor all these stupid wifi connections that aren’t necessary are just making everyone’s wifi that’s needed much slower & unreliable. And they are making you pay their cost to oppress you & deny at some point.
Show threadJWMJul 27

@JoBlakely @dangillmor …not to mention being a huge attack vector for malware.

If you MUST have an IOT device, put them all on their own network.

Show threadPoloniousmonkJul 27

@dangillmor

What kills me is that someone could reverse-engineer it and restore all functionality, probably for five bucks apiece. Or for free. And /that/ is very illegal.

Show threadLed By FoolsJul 27

@Uair @dangillmor Seems like a fitting toot for the #Enshittification tag, ICYMI, @pluralistic (but I bet you didn't).

Agree that it could be reverse engineered very easily.

IDK whether it would work, but perhaps Archive.org has a cached copy of the prior firmware version? Once installed disconnect wifi to prevent push updates.

Show threadPoloniousmonkJul 27

@MHowell

I read pluralistic, yes. It's how I know thiat.

I also read Ed Zitron. He's a lot of fun.

Show threadLed By FoolsJul 27

@Uair Thanks. Never heard of Ed before. Will check his stuff out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Zitron

Ed Zitron - Wikipedia

Show threadMichael KohneJul 27
@dangillmor I'm buying a new oven and I'm utterly flumoxxed as to who wants smart features in their oven. I just...NO. The 30 year old oven (broken) that I'm replacing didn't need it, and it's replacement sure as hell doesn't need it. Oh, and Whirlpool's insistence that you connect the app to get access to all the features? Can I have a hell no?
Show threadSu_GJul 27

@mhkohne
Yeah!! I hear you! Who writes these multiple choice responses anyway? I want same same as you suggest: “Can I have a hell no?” 🤬

@dangillmor

Show threadDebbie BelairJul 27
@dangillmor I was thinking about buying a Peloton.
Show threadrichrocksterJul 27

@Scienceisnotopinions @dangillmor go for a Concept2 bike, subscribe to their daily workout emails. No extra costs, no lock-in and no damn WiFi connection needed. (You may need a free app for their firmware updates).

The guys who are famous for their rowing machines - bloody good simple and hard wearing kit.

Show threadDebbie Belair3d ago
@richrockster @dangillmor Thanks for that note.
Show threadIrwin GlennJul 27
Damn
Show threadFelipe 🐁Jul 27
@dangillmor Wish @internetofshit was active on Mastodon 
Show threadmoggieJul 27

Yeah. If I were ever to shop for anything like that, the first feature I'd look for is "no internet connection."

@dangillmor

Show threadNicole ParsonsJul 27

@dangillmor

@pluralistic was prophetic about how internet enabled appliances abuse customers.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/unauthorized-bread-a-near-future-tale-of-refugees-and-sinister-iot-appliances/

https://doctorow.medium.com/the-brave-little-toaster-5b68197e7b76

https://craphound.com/radicalized/

Like cryptocurrency, AI data centers, & IoT devices -- all spyware designed to waste internet bandwidth & manufacture artificial demand for electricity using fossil fuels

https://www.statista.com/statistics/190680/us-industrial-consumer-price-estimates-for-retail-electricity-since-1970/

Doesn't everyone enjoy subsidizing Koch Network & OPEC? They're desperate to forestall an urgently needed fossil fuel phase out

Unauthorized Bread: Real rebellions involve jailbreaking IoT toasters

Cory Doctorow’s book, Radicalized, is up for a CBC award. To celebrate, here’s an excerpt.

Ars Technica
Show threadrouxdoo √Jul 27
@dangillmor
Every "smart" device I ever buy must have the ability to work with Home Assistant and can function on an IoT vlan that can not access the internet. If it must phone home to function it is not in my home.
Show threadnickaposJul 27
@dangillmor Its quite difficult to buy a new non-wifi enabled device. I got an air condition that has wifi functionality. 99% of the time, i just ignore the wifi part and so far i am able to use all of my devices no problem.
Show threadmarcJul 27
@nickapos @dangillmor My fridge has Wi-Fi. I never configured it. I can live with a fridge that doesn’t get firmware updates assuming that’s a thing. That was 5 or 6 years ago. No issues. I also find notifications for anything less than a fire alarm generally evil. No Wi-Fi, no notifications. Another win.
Show threadrichrocksterJul 27
@marchyman @nickapos @dangillmor our dishwasher and tumble dryer have WiFi. Never bothered to connect it. We had an issue with one and the engineer asked if we had the app to connect and inspect it - and was initially puzzled when I said no. After a little discussion and showing him the IoT search engine, he understood why. Although he couldn’t officially say so, I got an impression he agreed with my principles.
Show threadMichael HorowitzJul 27
@dangillmor a router with outbound firewall rules can block or limit what devices can do on the internet. Certainly no need to let a printer make any outbound connections. Step up from netgear and other consumer crappy routers.
Show threadDan GillmorJul 27
@defensivecomputing Takes some technical know-how. The bulk of the public relies on the default. That's the big problem.
Show threadMichael HorowitzJul 28
@dangillmor I see the big problem as being the lack of info from art history majors with no techie background.
Show threadMichael HorowitzJul 28
@dangillmor even the markup, which has techies, only does “things are bad” articles. They never touch on defenses
Show threadBrokarJul 27

@dangillmor I have no problem with device's capability to use the internet for updates or collaboration/configuration.
BUT this should always be optional. The device should work without an internet connection the same way it does with one.

I have an HP laser printer. Works perfectly except the scanner. The installer will only install the driver if it has internet.
Works with Windows built-in scanner driver though.
Fuck you, HP. Printer won't get internet, not using WiFi, not needing updates.

Show threadPamela Barroway – Biz EditorJul 27
@dangillmor I recently remodeled my kitchen and laundry room, with all new appliances replacing ones 25+ years old. It is nearly impossible to find non-wifi appliances 😡. So upon install and activation you can bet your bippie I disabled ALL those connections. It’s a pain, but doable.
Show threadTony NovakJul 27
@PamelaBarroway @dangillmor interesting. I’ve not found that yet, after replacing many appliances this past year.
Show threadPamela Barroway – Biz EditorJul 27
@Onlineadviser Good to hear! Fwiw, once disabled those functions all went swimmingly. @dangillmor
Show threadFemme MalheureuseJul 27

@dangillmor It probably *is* illegal but no one has yet called it what it is — extortion.

"Nice exer-cycle you have there, be a shame if anything bricked it."

Show threadDoNotPunchDownJul 27

@dangillmor

I don't understand how it can be legal.

No one needs a stationary bike attached to the internet. No one needs a car or refrigerator attached to the internet.

Some states are fighting this type of theft. Sadly, most aren't.

Show threadWilsonJul 27
@dangillmor and that includes cars
Show threadJohnMasheyJul 27
@dangillmor
~”Some day your microwave will sell Viagra to your fridge” (presumably using your credit card).
UCB’s Kris (smart dust, Dust Netwirks) Pister, in wireless mesh networks panel at Stanford ~2007, in response I asked panel on security vs viruses, spam.
Show threadZhi Zhu 🕸️Jul 27

"the seller can -- and many do -- remotely disable it or extort a "subscription" fee at any point."
- @dangillmor

Yep. Epson deliberately bricked our printer.

Show threadnieuemmaJul 27
@dangillmor I have a display with “Google TV” which of course wants an internet connection. I disabled WiFi on it and have seen zero consequences from it. I just want to plug in my device and see a picture on the screen.
Show threadLupo_BavariaJul 27
@dangillmor You can add a Raspberry Pi for 50€ to your router and install the free Pi-hole server software and see all the useless data transmission of your devices and can block these. In addition the Pi-hole can download fresh blocklists from GitHub and other sources to block URLs with bad content.
Show threadKim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷Jul 27
@dangillmor Not only should remote bricking be illegal, it should also be mandatory for any company that decides to de-support its cloud services to open-source the infrastructure, and offer any relevant private keys for sale to the highest bidder. (Making them public would be a massive security risk, so there should be government oversight of such auctions).
#enshittification
Show threadTomas EkeliJul 27
@KimSJ @dangillmor bad actors would frequently be the highest bidders, i think
Show threadKim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷Jul 27
@tomasekeli @dangillmor
Hence the need for government oversight!
Show threadRachel RawlingsJul 27
@KimSJ @tomasekeli @dangillmor Except in those cases where the government and the bad actor are one and the same. But govs are definitely a subset.
Show threadTomas EkeliJul 27
@LinuxAndYarn @KimSJ @dangillmor if the infrastructure is open-source and free the user needs to be able to trust and disallow keys
Show threadMatthew Wakefield 🧬Jul 27
@dangillmor Unless there is open source software under a decently permissive license.
Show threadGoulJul 27
@dangillmor a 20k$ bounty has been set to “repair” these back to original condition at point of sale. https://youtu.be/2zayHD4kfcA?si=_qaF9ZB8xxOaIAVO
FULU Foundation offers $20,000 bounty to unbrick echelon bikes

YouTube
Show threadBandersnatchJul 27

@dangillmor

#enshittification

Show threadUnCoveredMythsJul 27

@dangillmor

Definitely should be illegal.

It is one thing to offer Bluetooth for blind people to be able to access the touch hidden smooth buttons.

Other than that, no need.

Show threadKnightmareJul 27
@dangillmor I have a feeder that has a WiFi connection, but not an internet one. It uses Bluetooth to connect to the phone to WiFi.
Show threadJWcph, Radicalized By DecencyJul 27
@dangillmor We're heading straight for a Butlerian Jihad...
Show threadGrovewestJul 27
@dangillmor It’s not a Wi-Fi problem, it is an internet problem. You should not have to connect to the internet to use a Wi-Fi appliance on your local private network. It is a red flag when a company requires a separate internet account and sign-in. Why would they? It should be illegal.
Show threadx0Jul 28
@dangillmor And the shitty thing is that if you are a blind person, these appliances are basically your only choice, because using them via an app or voice control is the only way to make them work if you can't physically see them! So we're just screwed.