John Oliver on ‘smart’ appliances: ‘Spying on you through the washing machine’
The host also discussed the rise of forgotten monthly subscriptions for anything from dishwashers to litter boxes
TL;DR
- Subscription-based business models have become ubiquitous, affecting everything from entertainment to household appliances.
- Many consumers are unaware of their total monthly subscription spending and often forget about or don't use services they pay for.
- Companies use 'dark patterns'—deceptive design choices—to make signing up for subscriptions easy and canceling difficult.
- Smart appliances can collect sensitive user data, leading to privacy concerns.
- Examples include printers disabling ink cartridges and car manufacturers charging for features like remote unlock.
- Cancelling subscriptions, especially those bundled or automatically renewed, can be a complex and frustrating process.
- The FTC's proposed 'click to cancel' rule faced opposition and was blocked by a US appeals court.