The Bosch eBike Flow App wins the CES Worst in Show award for Enshittification!

@iFixit Cory Doctorow is my guide.

@iFixit hiya, I want to share this but the alt text is just the post text and doesn't convey the content of the video. It wouldn't need to be a full transcript but ought to reflect what you'd tell someone if you were summarizing. If you fix this I'll be happy to boost!

@Nicovel0 @iFixit In Europe that might be tough. Europe, unlike the US isn't a corporatocracy.

They will of course try. And it isn't like they haven't tried before. What does surprise me is that Bosch, being a German company - one would have thought they'd ethically stand above such immoralities - but then, BMW wanted a subscription fee for your paid-for car seat heater, so... ‍️ boo knows...

@thor technically, but thanks to free trade agreements it is: https://media.ccc.de/v/39c3-a-post-american-enshittification-resistant-internet

@iFixit No more Bosch

@iFixit as an ebike user I do not agree. The option for this is awesome and long overdue. Bike theft is a real problem and if I have 3 computers on the bike that can be electronically locked, why should I not use this option?

My 9 year old Bosch bike already has a computer in the battery, in the motor and in the display unit. It has buttons, let me lock my property digitally!

@iFixit Very, very disappointing, considering Bosch generally used to be a pretty good company.

@thor @iFixit I don’t know about “ethical” and “company” going so well together. If it doesn’t affect their bottom line or is good PR, sure, they’ll be ethical. But if it does…

@iFixit I choose a Bosch e-bike instead of a VanMoof because the battery, etc were easily replaceable/repairable. So this OSS a disappointing move from Bosch #ebike

@thor Almost all other regions got pressured by the US to pass equivalent laws during trade agreement talks. This effects the EEA as well. Also see https://media.ccc.de/v/39c3-a-post-american-enshittification-resistant-internet @iFixit

@iFixit I think you're missing several points, (a) the battery lock is opt-in and only on the paid subscription, (b) if, as in your example, the battery is stolen and taken to the police, an online database might help return the battery to the owner, (c) is there even an online DB? that design doesn't make sense because the bike would require internet access when the battery is attached, something which cannot be guaranteed.

@iFixit You definitively should use hashtags such as #Bosch or #Flow #FlowApp in order to let people discover that important toot about #ebikes.

Avoid Bosch products!

#enshittification #eBike #CES

@publicvoit @iFixit you can use the bikes without ever using the app.

@schmittlauch @iFixit as I said - they tried. Even little Iceland didn't bow down.

Icelnadic copyright law:
art. 11; An individual can copy a published copyrighted work (book, music, movie) for own use as long as there is no financial gain.

@schmittlauch @iFixit

art. 11a; A legal owner of a computer program can copy it for safe-keeping (only!)
A legal owner of a computer program can disassemble the program to examine, investigate or test the program to learn its workings and the ideas and views the individual parts of the programs rest on, given that these actions are in conjunction with the permissable use rightholder has in conjuction of the perusal of the software.

@schmittlauch @iFixit
Remember DVD-Jon? That case made Europeans well aware of the scare tactics the eminate from the US. The Icelandic version of the MPAA tried to copy the US scare tactics, claiming copying was illegal - but they were shot down - because it isn't.

And unlike americans, European people are VERY APT at watching their rights and fighting to keep them.

@iFixit adding that if a vehicle has "illegal parts" fitted and is involved in an accident, any insurance would not pay out and the owner and user of the vehicle could technically be taken to court.

@exus1pl @mihamarkic @iFixit proper implementation is important

@Tho99 @iFixit As far as I understand the video, this doesn't help with the part pairing issue.

@thor @schmittlauch @iFixit in addition, when you flashed your own software on that hardware, it would also be legal.