TV, connected speakers… All connected devices will face this huge problem and no one is talking about it

News JVTech TV, connected speakers… All connected devices will face this huge problem and no one is talking about it

If the Internet of Things was just a concept 15 years ago, today, connected objects are everywhere in everyday life. We are talking here about televisions, multimedia boxes, weather stations or connected scales and, of course, smart speakers and even locks connected to the Internet.

The fact is that This type of device is so present in our daily lives that we use it without asking too many questions. And yet, it is necessary, particularly with regard to the period during which they are updated.

A blatant lack of transparency on the part of manufacturers

The US FTC recently published a damning study concerning the lack of transparency of brands that sell connected objects. The main problem identified concerns the lifespan of these productswhich is closely linked to the frequency of updates, as well as the period during which they are offered. The study reveals that, In 89% of cases, connected device manufacturers are unable to provide clear information regarding the upgrade period of their devices.

“This gap exposes consumers to increased risks, including privacy violations, financial losses and other harms”explains the FTC, which recalls thata connected product that is not updated risks cyberattackscompromise user data or even be less efficient over time.

The question of planned obsolescence

Obviously, all this is linked to planned obsolescence. We know this, device manufacturers sometimes decide quite arbitrarily to stop updates of their products. Sometimes, it is linked to technical constraints: the device becomes too old and therefore not powerful enough to accept new features. But in other cases, it may be motivated by the fact of pushing consumers towards another, more recent version of the product. It should be noted that the FTC looked into the cases of 184 different devices, but his study does not cite specific brands.

The FTC has therefore decided to deepen its investigation, in order to offer concrete solutions to brands that market connected objects. Ideally, they should offer a roadmap like smartphone manufacturers dowhich determine in advance the number of years during which their products will receive updates.

It should nevertheless be noted that not all manufacturers are bad students. We can, for example, cite Amazon, which highlights the period during which its connected devices are upgraded. But it is obvious that this approach should be generalizednot only for security reasons, but also for economic and ecological questions.