Insider Lite

Insider Lite August 2024

by David Danto

Lamenting Terms And Conditions

The relentless expansion of arbitration clauses in terms and conditions is locking consumers into one-sided agreements. Roku, for instance, now requires users to agree to binding arbitration just to keep their devices from turning into overpriced paperweights. If you don’t consent, Roku will simply brick your device. This aggressive approach is emblematic of a broader trend in the tech world, where companies like AT&T have pioneered arbitration clauses to prevent class action lawsuits, effectively steering all disputes out of court and into private arbitration, a process that overwhelmingly favors corporations.

AT&T and DirecTV have led the charge in pushing arbitration. These companies were early adopters of expansive arbitration clauses, insisting that any issue – whether directly related to the service or not – must be settled outside of the court system. The tactic is part of a larger corporate strategy to avoid the public scrutiny and potential financial blowback of class-action suits. Their success in the courts has inspired other companies, like Disney, to leverage similar clauses. Disney is now shielding itself from a wrongful death lawsuit at one of its resorts by arguing that the plaintiff agreed to arbitration — during a Disney+ trial years prior.

Lamenting Terms And Conditions

The relentless expansion of arbitration clauses in terms and conditions is locking consumers into one-sided agreements. Roku, for instance, now requires users to agree to binding arbitration just to keep their devices from turning into overpriced paperweights. If you don't consent, Roku will simply brick your device. This aggressive approach is emblematic of a broader trend in the tech world, where companies like AT&T have pioneered arbitration clauses to prevent class action lawsuits, effectively steering all disputes out of court and into private arbitration, a process that overwhelmingly favors corporations.

AT&T and DirecTV have led the charge in pushing arbitration. These companies were early adopters of expansive arbitration clauses, insisting that any issue – whether directly related to the service or not – must be settled outside of the court system. The tactic is part of a larger corporate strategy to avoid the public scrutiny and potential financial blowback of class-action suits. Their success in the courts has inspired other companies, like Disney, to leverage similar clauses. Disney is now shielding itself from a wrongful death lawsuit at one of its resorts by arguing that the plaintiff agreed to arbitration -- during a Disney+ trial years prior.

If you think this doesn't affect our space, think again. The current videobar we are evaluating, like most products, wouldn’t start until we agreed to its Ts & Cs.

By reading this post, you agree to waive your right to layoffs and RIFs. Our Ts & Cs expressly prohibit your employer from participating in workforce reductions, regardless of how popular the trend becomes.

Snippets from the July Insider Report that paid subscribers received weeks ago (10 pages)

CrowdStrike Outage: A major mishap by security vendor CrowdStrike led to significant disruption, crashing 8.5 million Windows PCs. The error was caused by a faulty update, not a cyberattack, and had widespread impacts on sectors like banking, finance, and travel. Delta Airlines was particularly affected, taking a $500M hit and dealing with over 5,000 flight cancellations. The incident brought back memories of a similar McAfee blunder in 2010. As mentioned above, the continued disagreement will likely be all about the Ts & Cs.

Climate Crisis & Enterprise Comms: The devastating effects of climate change are increasingly in focus, with a recent heat dome and record-breaking temperatures in July 2024 serving as stark reminders. While existential threats loom large, there’s a silver lining for enterprise communications, as remote work and tech solutions can help reduce carbon emissions by limiting commuting and office usage. Yet, despite this potential, the industry remains surprisingly silent on its contributions to climate solutions.

Microsoft Eliminates Teams Display App: Microsoft has discontinued its Teams Display app, which offers a glanceable, always-on screen for activities and notifications. Despite some initial promise, the rise of more versatile second displays has made these dedicated devices less appealing. There’s speculation that Microsoft might reintroduce a similar concept under its upcoming Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP.)

Google Abandons Third-Party Cookie Plans: After years of promises to eliminate third-party cookies in Chrome, Google reversed course and decided to maintain support for them. This move has drawn criticism from privacy advocates and reinforces Google's priority on advertising over user privacy. This decision also contrasts with increasing regulatory pressure in Europe for more transparent and privacy-focused solutions.

Amazon’s Alexa Struggles: Amazon’s Echo division has been a money pit, with the company losing $25 billion from 2017 to 2021. Despite millions of units sold, the hoped-for killer app for smart speakers never materialized. Now, Amazon is trying to salvage Alexa by introducing new AI-driven features and possibly shifting to a subscription model.

T-Mobile Expands Fiber Reach: T-Mobile is making significant strides in the fiber broadband market, acquiring Metronet in partnership with KKR. This move shifts the narrative from T-Mobile’s reliance on 5G to the superiority of fiber when available, aiming to reach 6.5 million homes by 2030.

Ericsson’s Vonage Write-Down: Ericsson announced a $1.1 billion write-down related to its acquisition of Vonage. The acquisition, originally aimed at strengthening Ericsson’s CPaaS offerings, has not yielded the expected market growth. This is the second such write-down, raising concerns about Ericsson's strategy and the overall future of the Vonage brand.