The smart home promised seamless convenience. What it increasingly delivers is a polished system of gatekeeping, where screens, speakers, and dashboards shape what gets seen, what gets used, and what keeps charging after the hardware is already paid for.
Netflix may have to repay Italian subscribers after a court ruled against years of price increases. Customers could see hundreds of euros in refunds, but an appeal will decide if those payouts actually happen.
Patreon isn’t happy about Apple’s new subscription billing mandate, arguing Apple’s shifting rules create uncertainty for creators.