Hacker News with Generative AI: Consumer Rights

Vizio Shows What Happens When U.S. Fascism and TV Enshittification Meet (techdirt.com)
We’ve noted for years how the “smart” TV sector is at the forefront of enshittification. It’s a sector full of companies that have doubled down on annoying ads and surveillance to the detriment of the customer. And while absolutely fixated on monetizing consumer surveillance data, it routinely fails to put anywhere close to the same attention on consumer privacy, resulting in a lot of scandal.
Politics, Consumer Rights, Privacy, Television, Surveillance
11 points by type0 3 days ago | 1 comments
It takes one click to join Uber One, and 32 actions to quit (theregister.com)
The USA’s Federal Trade Commission on Monday launched a lawsuit against Uber, alleging the rideshare giant ripped off customers by enrolling them in its “Uber One” membership scheme without permission, failing to deliver promised savings, and making it devilishly difficult to opt out.
Consumer Rights, Uber, Lawsuits, FTC
9 points by beardyw 4 days ago | 0 comments
Tesla speeds up odometers to avoid warranty repairs, US. lawsuit claims (cnbc.com)
Tesla, Lawsuits, Automobiles, Consumer Rights
21 points by SirLJ 8 days ago | 1 comments
Kmart lied to me, so I hacked their lamp [video] (youtube.com)
Kmart, Hacking, Retail, Video, Consumer Rights
92 points by jackedEngineer 14 days ago | 48 comments
In Trump's Tariff Era, the Right to Repair Will Be More Important Than (wired.com)
Hang onto your stuff. That’s the advice right-to-repair advocates are giving anyone worried about how the tariffs will hit their wallets—and collections of electronic gadgets.
Politics, Consumer Rights, Technology, Economics
9 points by nkassis 17 days ago | 0 comments
TradingView's "€1/month" plan became €59.95 with no warning – refunded only afte (medium.com)
In February 2025, I accepted what looked like a harmless TradingView promotion: Premium Plan for €1/month.
Trading, Finance, Consumer Rights, Pricing, Software
5 points by zigfrid 18 days ago | 0 comments
Wyden Asks for Rules About Whether You Own Your Digital Purchases (theverge.com)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair Andrew Ferguson urging the FTC to require that companies admit when you’re not really buying an ebook or video game.
Digital Ownership, Consumer Rights, Government Regulation, Technology, Law
10 points by m463 60 days ago | 1 comments
Right to Repair laws have now been proposed in all U.S. states (ifixit.com)
With the introduction of a bill in Wisconsin, Right to Repair legislation has now been introduced in every single US state.
Legislation, Consumer Rights, Technology, United States
502 points by LorenDB 61 days ago | 160 comments
Disney+ Ad Policy Change (rossmanngroup.com)
In January 2025, Disney+ updated its Subscriber Agreement to include provisions allowing advertisements in content across all subscription tiers, including those marketed as "no ads" or "ad free."
Streaming Services, Advertising, Disney, Consumer Rights
27 points by instagib 77 days ago | 3 comments
Show HN: FreeDemandLetter – A Weapon for Anyone Who's Sick of Getting Shafted (freedemandletter.com)
Let's be honest: few things are more satisfying than getting what you're owed. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over $230 million in back wages were recovered in 2021 alone.¹ Yet countless more go unclaimed because people don't demand what's rightfully theirs. We're here to fix that.
Legal, Consumer Rights, Technology, Web Apps
54 points by arashvakil 77 days ago | 57 comments
Automakers Sue to Kill Maine's Popular 'Right to Repair' Law (techdirt.com)
A little over a year ago, Maine residents voted overwhelmingly (83 percent) to pass a new state right to repair law designed to make auto repairs easier and more affordable.
Auto Industry, Law, Consumer Rights, Maine, Technology
36 points by hn_acker 77 days ago | 0 comments
Why Banks May Be Hoping You're Not Paying Attention (nytimes.com)
They have no fiduciary duty in many cases and can profit from customers’ confusion. But where’s the line between unsavory and illegal?
Finance, Banking, Ethics, Consumer Rights
5 points by JumpCrisscross 79 days ago | 0 comments
FTC Sues John Deere over Its Repair Monopoly (404media.co)
The Biden administration and the states of Illinois and Minnesota sued tractor and agricultural manufacturer John Deere Wednesday, arguing that the company’s anti consumer repair practices have driven up prices for farmers and have made it difficult for them to get repairs during critical planting and harvesting seasons.
Antitrust, Agriculture, Lawsuits, Consumer Rights, Business
67 points by jbiason 101 days ago | 11 comments
Right to root access (medhir.com)
I believe consumers, as a right, should be able to install software of their choosing to any computing device that is owned outright.
Consumer Rights, Software, Operating Systems
487 points by medhir 103 days ago | 417 comments
YouTube laywer LegalEagle is suing Honey and wants to take the company down (dexerto.com)
The Legal Eagle, a YouTuber with over three million subscribers who doubles as an actual attorney at law, has filed a class-action lawsuit against Honey, with the goal of getting creators back the money they allegedly stole through affiliate link fishing.
YouTube, Lawsuits, Affiliate Marketing, Consumer Rights
19 points by f1shy 113 days ago | 7 comments
2024 was the year gamers started pushing back on the erosion of game ownership (pcgamer.com)
Gaming, Consumer Rights, Industry Trends
30 points by pseudolus 122 days ago | 4 comments
Senators slam automakers for selling data and blocking the right to repair (theverge.com)
A bipartisan group of senators is calling out the auto industry for its “hypocritical, profit-driven” opposition to national right-to-repair legislation, while also selling customer data to insurance companies and other third-party interests.
Politics, Consumer Rights, Automotive Industry
13 points by speckx 127 days ago | 2 comments
Canada's new Right-to-Repair laws "good news for farmers" (farms.com)
Two federal bills received Royal Assent in November that will make it easier for consumers to fix and service the products they use on a daily basis. That includes phones and fridges and even tractors.
Canada, Legislation, Agriculture, Consumer Rights, Repair
15 points by kspacewalk2 134 days ago | 0 comments
Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise (nypost.com)
The health insurance industry’s dirty secret is that it’s no longer selling insurance: It’s selling a crapshoot.
Health Insurance, Government, Business, Consumer Rights
150 points by mancerayder 134 days ago | 279 comments
Amazon accused of cheating low-income Prime users out of two-day deliveries (theregister.com)
Amazon has trouble in the US capital, where the city's attorney general alleged in a lawsuit filed today that the company excluded two postal zip codes from its fastest Prime delivery service without informing customers.
Amazon, Lawsuit, Prime Delivery, Consumer Rights, Low-Income
11 points by rntn 143 days ago | 0 comments
DC accuses Amazon of excluding some residents from Prime benefits (wusa9.com)
Amazon, Consumer Rights, Legal Disputes, Washington D.C.
11 points by ivewonyoung 143 days ago | 1 comments
Judge rules SiriusXM's annoying cancellation process is illegal (theverge.com)
A New York judge has determined that SiriusXM’s “long and burdensome” cancellation process is illegal.
Legal Issues, Consumer Rights, SiriusXM
17 points by mfiguiere 155 days ago | 0 comments
Which? launches £3B action against Apple over competition law breaches (which.co.uk)
Which? is today launching a landmark £3 billion legal claim against Apple, claiming the tech giant breached competition law, effectively locking millions of consumers into its iCloud service at rip-off prices
Competition Law, Apple, Legal Action, Consumer Rights, Technology
5 points by OptionOfT 162 days ago | 0 comments
Apple accused of trapping and ripping off 40M iCloud customers (bbc.com)
Apple is facing a legal claim accusing it of effectively locking 40 million British customers into its iCloud service and charging them "rip off prices."
Apple, Lawsuits, Consumer Rights, Technology, Business
17 points by vinni2 163 days ago | 1 comments
Ticketmaster’s attempt to game arbitration services fails (ericgoldman.org)
In an effort to curb mass arbitration, Ticketmaster sought to switch arbitration service providers to New Era ADR, including for past ticket purchases. New Era incorporated some defense-favorable provisions to its mass arbitration provision. The Ninth Circuit holds those provisions go too far and are procedurally and substantively unconscionable.
Legal, Arbitration, Business, Consumer Rights
308 points by hn_acker 172 days ago | 146 comments
Ask HN: Impossible to get a refund from Pieter Levels? (ycombinator.com)
I am a resident of Germany. Which means according to the EU’s Consumer Rights Directive (Directive 2011/83/EU) I have the right to a refund within 14 days of the purchase of digital goods and services.
Legal Issues, Consumer Rights, Germany
20 points by Holzlappen 175 days ago | 12 comments
T-Mobile, AT&T oppose unlocking rule, claim locked phones are good for users (arstechnica.com)
Carriers fight plan to require unlocking of phones 60 days after activation.
Telecommunications, Mobile Phones, Consumer Rights, Legislation, Regulation
204 points by LorenDB 187 days ago | 209 comments
Ask HN: Should it be illegal for ISP's to crackdown on third-party routers? (ycombinator.com)
where I live, my ISP does not allow using any third party routers for broadband use. Additionally, other devices like STB and other IOT devices sold by the ISP now refuse to work entirely if it detects any other routers being used. Somehow this feels wrong to me. I wonder how bad the situation is elsewhere?
Networking, ISPs, Consumer Rights, Routers
10 points by dj0k3r 187 days ago | 5 comments
The feds are coming for John Deere over the right to repair (gizmodo.com)
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating tractor manufacturer John Deere over long standing allegations that Deere makes its farm equipment hard to repair.
Agriculture, Law, Business, Consumer Rights
576 points by rntn 190 days ago | 244 comments
FCC launches a formal inquiry into why broadband data caps are terrible (engadget.com)
The Federal Communications Commission announced that it will open a renewed investigation into broadband data caps and how they impact both consumer experience and company competition.
Broadband, FCC, Regulation, Consumer Rights, Internet
10 points by jayantbhawal 192 days ago | 0 comments