OP here. Really glad to see others engaging with this topic, I wrote up this post because I felt like there wasn't anything out there that was advocating for unlocked hardware as part of the discussion on "right to repair".
As someone that works in security, I fully understand the need for sane defaults that protect the average user. I even advocate in the article that we should keep these defaults in place for the most part.
What I tend to not understand is the argument that there should be no option for more enterprising users to access their hardware at the lowest levels because we need to protect the average consumer. It may be a footgun for some, but that's sort of the point. I expect to be able to modify something I own, whether it's to my detriment or not.
My argument isn't that root access should be the default, but at the very least it should be an option. I just don't think it's right that we've normalized corporations blocking the ability to load / inspect software, which often is marketed as a safety or privacy thing, but is arguably more a business decision meant to protect profit margins.
Thanks for this article, it was the most succinct way to describe the right to own and right to repair regressions I've noticed. I'm glad I can point to your article instead of trying to describe it myself. If you're looking for others advocating for this I know of Louis Rossmann. He also recently started a wiki on consumer protection that I hope to contribute and collaborate with to empower users.
As someone that works in security, I fully understand the need for sane defaults that protect the average user. I even advocate in the article that we should keep these defaults in place for the most part.
What I tend to not understand is the argument that there should be no option for more enterprising users to access their hardware at the lowest levels because we need to protect the average consumer. It may be a footgun for some, but that's sort of the point. I expect to be able to modify something I own, whether it's to my detriment or not.
My argument isn't that root access should be the default, but at the very least it should be an option. I just don't think it's right that we've normalized corporations blocking the ability to load / inspect software, which often is marketed as a safety or privacy thing, but is arguably more a business decision meant to protect profit margins.