Proprietary Tyrants

Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to mistreat the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers, which puts them in a position of power over the users; that is the basic injustice. The developers and manufacturers often exercise that power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve.

This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities.

A tyrant is a malicious device that refuses to allow users to install a different operating system or a modified operating system. These devices have measures to block execution of anything other than the “approved” system versions. We also refer to this practice as tivoization.

If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't here, please write to <webmasters@gnu.org> to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two to serve as specific substantiation.

2022-10
Xiaomi provides a tool to unlock the bootloader of Xiaomi smartphones and tablets, but this requires creating an account on the company's servers, i.e. providing your phone number. This is the price you have to pay for “legally” running a free software operating system on Xiaomi devices. But the manufacturer retains control of the unlocked device through a backdoor in the bootloader—the same backdoor that was remotely used to unlock it.
2018-02
Apple devices lock users in solely to Apple services by being designed to be incompatible with all other options, ethical or unethical.
2016-07
Microsoft accidentally left a way for users to install GNU/Linux on Windows RT tablets, but now it has “fixed” the “error”. They have the gall to call this “protecting” the users. The article talks of installing “Linux”, but the context shows it is really GNU/Linux that users install.
2014-12
Apple arbitrarily blocks users from installing old versions of iOS.
2014-03
Intel processors will have tyrant software built in.
2013-04
Motorola, then owned by Google, made Android phones that are tyrants (though someone found a way to crack the restriction).
2012-12
Samsung “Smart” TVs have turned Linux into the base for a tyrant system so as to impose DRM. What enables Samsung to do this is that Linux is released under GNU GPL version 2, not version 3, together with a weak interpretation of GPL version 2.
2012-10
Some LG TVs are tyrants.
2012-05
The Apple iThings are tyrant devices. There is a port of Android to the iThings, but installing it requires finding a bug or “exploit” to make it possible to install a different system.
2011-10
Mobile devices that come with Windows 8 are tyrants.
2011-05
The Playstation 3 is a tyrant.

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