Have you ever faced the frustration of losing access to a device you invested in? Whether it’s a laptop still clinging to Windows 10, a faded router dropped by your provider, or an advanced AI gadget that suddenly becomes useless, it's disheartening to part ways with something you paid good money for. Fortunately, a coalition of consumer advocates is rallying to change that narrative by urging U.S. lawmakers to introduce new policies that mandate companies to disclose how long they'll support their products before they’re rendered obsolete.

The Challenge of Obsolescence

Stacey Higginbotham, a Policy Fellow at Consumer Reports and a veteran journalist in the realm of Internet-of-Things (IoT), knows all too well the heartache of dead devices. Her foray into tech has seen her use countless strange yet short-lived gadgets—like the Quirky Egg Minder, designed to monitor your egg supply but ultimately floundering in the market. “I have lived through hundreds of poorly thought-out, poorly executed IoT products,” Higginbotham recounts. “They leave a frustrating trail of e-waste and disappointed consumers.”

Proposed Legislation

In response to this pervasive issue, Higginbotham contributed to a transformative joint report put forth by Consumer Reports, US PIRG, and the nonprofit Secure Resilient Future Foundation. This document proposes the Connected Consumer Products End of Life Disclosure Act—a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enforcing transparency among device manufacturers. The suggested law would obligate companies to clearly indicate their support timelines for the devices they sell, giving consumers an informed heads-up when their gadgets are nearing the end of their functional lifespan.

Current Landscape

This alarming problem isn’t novel. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) examined the websites of 184 products at the request of US PIRG and found that a staggering 89% failed to disclose a support timeframe. Lucas Rockett Gutterman, director of PIRG's Designed to Last campaign, emphasizes that this legislation could resonate with a broad audience. The proposed rules wouldn’t affect only the early adopters of quirky gadgets but also encompass everyday devices like smartphones, laptops, fitness trackers, and household appliances—essentially every internet-enabled gadget in our homes.

The Implications