Good morning. We’re all familiar with the phenomenon of “smart” products being abandoned by their makers, leaving them insecure or even nonfunctional.
Now the Federal Trade Commission has put a figure on the issue: A whopping 89% of the 184 smart products it surveyed didn’t come with a disclosure of how long they would be supported with updates. And of those manufacturers that did disclose this information, most hid it in the tech specs or other small print.
FTC consumer protection chief Samuel Levine: “Consumers stand to lose a lot of money if their smart products stop delivering the features they want.” No kidding! —David Meyer
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