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fuzzycurmudgeon

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  • Oct 20, 2016 @ 07:18am

    Re: Liability

    Your conclusion doesn't follow. Leaving a loaded gun on a playground isn't the fault of the manufacturer, and indeed, in most if not all such cases of firearm misuse by the end user, the manufacturer is legally not liable (see 15 USC §§ 7901-7903).

    Likewise, if we follow your initial premise, getting your IoT device hacked because you were too stupid to change the default password or take other protective measures to prevent unauthorized access is not the fault of the manufacturer, particularly if as part of the setup instructions for the device, the manufacturer recommended changing the password or taking other protective measures.

    To make this work, you'd have to prove malicious intent or neglect on the part of the manufacturer, who in most cases could probably point to their operating instructions and shrug such charges off.