SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
A Federal Trade Commission attempt to rein in a poorly secured IoT device is raising questions over whether the U.S. regulator has the power to crack down on vendors suspected of shoddy practices.
On Thursday, the FTC filed a complaint against Taiwanese manufacturer D-Link Systems that charged the company's internet routers and web cameras can easily be hacked, putting consumers at risk.
But the FTC's complaint doesn't cite evidence that the products have been breached, only the potential for harm to consumers.
That's among the reasons D-Link is contesting the complaint. "Notably, the complaint does not allege any breach of a D-Link Systems device," it said in a statement.
"Instead, the FTC speculates that consumers were placed 'at risk' to be hacked, but fails to allege, as it must, that actual consumers suffered," the company said.
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 09 2017, @05:04PM
Why should the manufacturer be allowed to continue to produce house-burning toasters without some kind of penalty? If that's a known defect in their product and they continue to make it anyway, shouldn't they be liable for some of the damages that their product causes? They chose to continue making it, which is also a "wrong choice."
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 09 2017, @05:06PM
The Invisible Hand will take care of it, comrade. About twenty years down the road or so, word will get out that Burn Your House Down Toasters might cause a house fire, and consumers will buy from a competitor instead.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Grishnakh on Monday January 09 2017, @07:06PM
No, they shouldn't be liable at all. This is bad for business. Consumers should have the complete responsibility to research their purchases, and if they die due to their mistakes, or the entire subdivision burns down because of them, then too bad. When Trump takes over with his libertarian advisors, I fully expect all this unnecessary government regulation to be repealed or at least not enforced, and also for new laws to be passed which prevent consumers from suing manufacturers, which will greatly improve our economy so that it resembles economic powers like Somalia. I can't wait!