path: root/articles/artificial-software-level-lockdowns.md

Artificial software-level lockdowns

While we are facing the problem of right to repair, we are also facing another problem. The software-level lockdowns are also enforced by the manufacturers artificially which also progresses the planned obsolesence of their devices. Such a serious issue is not heavily looked after by the consumers compared to planned obsolesence through irrepairable devices, which can also affect us in the similar manner. 

### Explanation of the term

The term basically signifies the practise endorced by the big tech corporations to artifically nerf the capabilities of the hardware of the devices by software. This means either not allowing the software such as [operating systems to not run on perfectly capable hardwares](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/what-is-a-tpm-and-heres-why-you-need-it-for-windows-11) which is not "approved" by the company, [providing updates which make the devices worse in terms of functionality](https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/apple-accused-of-deliberately-slowing-down-iphones-with-new-ios-updates-1830419-2021-07-20), [not allowing the consumers to do any sort of modification with their devices](https://9to5google.com/2021/08/24/galaxy-z-fold-3-disables-all-cameras-while-the-bootloader-is-unlocked/), [manufacturers not providing the source codes they use on their softwares which contains license that explicitly says to provide it to the public](https://www.xda-developers.com/mediatek-source-code-release-no-plans/) and much more.

### The seriousness of the issue