The Leaderboard

"An Android update rebound the hardware power button to open Gemini. The button that switched the phone off now launches an assistant, and the power menu moved. The same update turned airplane mode on, with no notice it had changed. The phone was sold with a power button that turned the phone off."

"John Deere equipment needs the company's proprietary software tools to finish many repairs. Farmers cannot fully fix tractors they own without going through an authorized dealer. The 2023 right-to-repair agreement Deere signed is voluntary and unenforceable."

"In 2024 Roku TVs and streaming players showed new legal terms on screen and stopped working until the owner tapped to accept. The terms removed the right to sue and to join a class action. There was no option to decline and keep using the device."

"Insurers quote new customers a low rate, then raise it at each renewal for the people who stay — a practice regulators call price optimization, or price walking. Loyal long-term customers end up paying more than new ones for identical coverage, subsidizing the introductory rates. Farmers does this. So does most of the industry."

"Tesla has remotely disabled Autopilot and Full Self-Driving on used cars after they were resold — software the first owner paid thousands of dollars for. The second owner is told the features they saw advertised do not transfer."

"In 2022 Pantone color books stopped working in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Files that used those colors displayed them as black until the user paid for a separate monthly Pantone subscription. The files had already been made."

"Ticketmaster shows a ticket price, then adds service, facility, and order-processing fees at checkout. Its dynamic pricing raises the listed price while you shop. The amount you actually pay is decided after you have committed to the seats."

"HP printers receive "Dynamic Security" firmware updates that make them reject third-party ink and toner. Cartridges that printed before the update stop working after it. HP has paid to settle several lawsuits over the practice and still ships it."

"A mandatory Sonos app update in May 2024 removed local library search, sleep timers, reliable alarms, and accessibility features from speakers people already owned. The previous app could not be reinstalled. Sonos later apologized and restored some features over months."