On: HP disables customers’ printers if they use ink ca...

[option]

intentionally destroying someone’s property?

[emodendroket → option]

Let's see a statute this would fall under.

[lazide → emodendroket]

Not the poster or taking a position, but California Penal Code 594 (Vandalism/Malicious Mischief) might apply if one were to try to take that direction. [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...]

Difficulty: it’s a wobbler, and is only a misdemeanor unless it’s > $400 worth of damage. Good luck proving that in this situation.

Maybe if they wrote in an email their evil plan to set the printers on fire so their customers would buy new ones, and it caught some people’s houses on fire.

Civil claims or a class action are an entirely different matter of course.