![]() The economic impact would be dire, the security implications would be extreme, and emergency preparedness would be greatly hindered by the proposed restrictions on router firmware. The freedom to modify devices you own is a concern, but the proposed rules prohibiting new device firmware would do much more damage. The proposed regulation would specifically ban router firmwares such as DD-WRT, and may go so far as to include custom firmware on your Android smartphone.Ī lot is on the line. While prohibiting the modification of transmitters has been a mainstay of FCC regulation for 80 years, the law of unintended consequences will inevitably show up in full force: because of the incredible integration of electronic devices, this proposed regulation may apply to everything from WiFi routers to cell phones. ![]() All devices operating in the 5GHz WiFi spectrum will be forced to implement security features to ensure the radios cannot be modified. Under the rule proposed by the FCC, devices with radios may be required to prevent modifications to firmware. The folks at ThinkPenguin, the EFF, FSF, Software Freedom Law Center, Software Freedom Conservancy, OpenWRT, LibreCMC, Qualcomm, and other have put together the SaveWiFi campaign (archive.is capture, real link is at this overloaded server) providing you instructions on how to submit a formal complaint to the FCC regarding this proposed rule. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we live under a system of participatory government, and there is still time to convince the FCC this regulation would stifle innovation, make us less secure, and set back innovation in the United States decades. We posted something about this a few days ago, but completely missed out on a call to action. Right now, the FCC is considering a proposal to require device manufacturers to implement security restricting the flashing of firmware.
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