Comment by gravitas
6 years ago
> Hardware requiring an online account to work must be outlawed.
You have just outlawed Roku. An online account is required to make it work, because that's how it was designed to work. It's a rather useless device without the online account.
Well, you could design an open API that others can use, too (server-side, not client side!). So the device can work with competitors, too, meaning it won't require an account at only one company. That would be a compromise - at least in theory others could replace the server parts.
I feel you're ignoring the subtle point - these devices are designed as an extension of their service not as general computing devices. I can easily replace "Roku" with "RSA SecureID keyfob" and have the same conversation - it is not a generic device; it is a targeted hardware extension of their core business model. An "online account" (an account with RSA the company) is required for this keyfob to be of any value other than a LED screen displaying random numbers.
Fundamentally, I don't see a difference there. They are general computing devices, which are then restricted to talk only to a subset of computers, and only on a subset of protocols. Similarly, the RSA SecureID keyfob can be a public/private key, where the private key is secure on the keyfob, used to generate the digits shown, and the public key is printed on the outside. Anyone with the public key can verify that the private key was used to generate it. An "online account" is not required for the keyfob to be of value.
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Yeah, we get it. If the Roku won't work without a Roku account, then forget it, someone else can make a generic TV set top box device
My YubiKey works just fine without an RSA account, go figure
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