Businesses are adding computing and connectivity to more and more products. Consumers can benefit from smarter products by saving money and time, but there are also risks. The way some businesses build and manage these smart devices has fostered a slow-moving crisis that reduces the overall longevity and safety of everyday objects. Products that used to behave and then break down in predictable ways, now fail when a product’s connection to the cloud stops, after routine updates, or when the manufacturer decides to stop providing updates.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. This paper explains this slow-moving crisis and how manufacturers should adapt their product design for longevity. Designing products for longevity will keep connected products safe, operational, and repairable over time, even after the manufacturer stops providing software and security updates.
Creating long-lived, secure consumer devices is essential for protecting consumer rights, our national security, and the environment. Consumer Reports hopes these recommendations start a conversation on what it means to build and deploy a connected product responsibly.