Posted on 09/06/2015 3:39:00 PM PDT by dayglored
Analysis America's broadband watchdog is suffering a backlash over plans to control software updates to Wi-Fi routers, smartphones, and even laptops.
In a proposed update [PDF] to the regulator's rules over radiofrequency equipment, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would oblige manufacturers to "specify which parties will be authorized to make software changes."
In addition, it proposes that "modifications by third parties should not be permitted unless the third party receives its own certification."
While the intent is to make the FCC's certification of the next generation of wireless equipment faster and more flexible, open source advocates were quick to notice that the rules would effectively force manufacturers to lock down their equipment and so remove the ability to modify software without formal approval from the US government. Such an approach goes directly against the open source ethos.
As a result, many are unhappy about the plans. The proposals, which are not yet set in stone, were approved for public comment in July, formally published at the start of August, and had a planned comment deadline of next week – 8 September.
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
This is basically a somewhat well-intentioned but ultimately very misguided way of shutting down open source wireless.
Possible interest for your ping lists...
The FCC intends to make the internet much more expensive to use. Look for users to be “certified” eventually.
I don't believe it's well-intentioned. It's meant to make sure the feral government has a back-door to EVERYTHING.
The lobbyists win again.
Those manufacturers want to dominate your machine and the marketplace, by removing your ability to tinker with it...
Well this SUX!
Most Firmware on routers bytes and is horrible, the Open source wireless router firmware works great, Open WRT, DD-WRT, etc...
Other way round...every router or cable modem is built on open source code, much of it GNU. The EFF is a mess, but I don’t see good intentions here.
“The FCC intends to make the internet much more expensive to use. Look for users to be “certified” eventually.”
You mean like Ham Radio today?
Government is afraid they won’t be able to snoop.
I can lock down my router more with Open source firmware than i can with the Junk D-Link loads on it from the default.
No doubt fed gov HATES this thing
All their Factory Back Doors are potentially at risk.
Since computer WiFi adapters can run in ad-hoc mode couldn’t an argument be made that they are subject to the same restrictions? Can you imagine the havoc if computer hobbyists had to be certified to reinstall Ubuntu?
Computer operating systems are not the keys to the internet castle: router software is.
Excellent point!
They're lazy, too, so they look for the least-effort way to make it easy to snoop.
That would be the precedent.
As of just a few months ago the FCC had no business in our internet. Now they are making it their business.
I think one of the first order items of a Trump-Cruz Administration should be to roll back FCC involvement in our internet.
“I don’t believe it’s well-intentioned. It’s meant to make sure the feral government has a back-door to EVERYTHING.”
Yep.
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