In the digital age, the concept of ownership is being redefined, and it's not just about physical possessions. The recent petition to the European Commission regarding the closure of an online car-racing game, The Crew, highlights a growing trend: the blurring of lines between ownership and subscription. This phenomenon, often referred to as neo-feudalism or technofeudalism, is reshaping the way we interact with technology and the products we think we own.
The Crew's sudden unplayability due to server shutdowns by Ubisoft sparked outrage among players who felt they had been wronged. This incident, while seemingly niche, is a microcosm of a larger issue. We are increasingly locking ourselves into subscriptions where the power rests with the vendor, and the things we think we own are merely licensed to us. This shift in the rules of property ownership is a significant change in the history of capitalism.
Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon all have their own versions of this issue. Apple retains the right to determine which software can be installed on an iPhone and what repairs can be made. Microsoft Office users were unexpectedly upgraded to a more expensive subscription with the addition of the AI assistant Copilot. Amazon remotely deleted copies of '1984' from Kindle libraries due to a rights issue.
These examples are not isolated incidents. Farmers can't repair their tractors without using approved parts, which might trigger a kill-switch. Modern cars unlock certain hardware features only with a premium subscription. These issues are not completely clear-cut, and there are valid reasons for subscription models, especially for software updates and patches. However, the petitioners in the Stop Killing Games case are asking for some rights in the products they have paid for.
The blurred lines between hardware and software, ownership and subscription, are being exploited to the advantage of big tech and to the disadvantage of consumers. This is a bit fishy, and it raises a deeper question: who really owns our digital possessions? The answer is not straightforward, and it's a question that needs to be addressed as we navigate the complexities of the digital age.
