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I’m sure you have all heard of the recent Netflix drama regarding password sharing. Although they eventually backed down, (rules only apply to some countries) many streaming services have sprung out with original content forcing multiple subscriptions to watch popular shows. These streaming services have also began to increase prices and region-lock more content. This is a single example of subscription services taking a turn for the worse.


“You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy” - World Economic Forum

This popular quote by the World Economic Forum in 2016 pretty much sums up the topic of this blogpost. The world is shifting towards SaaS (software as a service), and ownership is becoming rarer by the year. The Adobe Creative Suite (photoshop, premiere pro etc) and Office 365 can no longer be bought outright and now require a monthly/yearly subscription to access. Previously you could buy software licenses for a flat fee and keep that copy indefinitely. Although you wouldn’t get software updates, you could still access the version of the software you had. Now you are forced into a subscription ecosystem and lose access to software the second you cancel.

It feels like everything is a subscription now. Heck, even car manufacturers are making drivers subscribe for basic features. BMW is charging a monthly subscription for heated seats and Toyota started charing $8 a month to remotely start cars using a key fob. Despite these features being physically available in the cars, they are locked behind a software block. You do not own the car or its features.

I truly believe that we are shifting towards a world where you won’t be the owner of anything, even your cars. I didn’t even get to mention the “Right to Repair” campaigns that have started and the butchered N.Y. bill that recently passed. We, as consumers, should push back on losing our ownership rights, or we will go into a downward spiral of subscriptions.

Comments

  1. Thomas BFebruary 26, 2023 at 1:56 PM

    Hey Alexis,
    What an insightful blog post. The concerns and examples you raise do make me think about the possibility of a near dystopian world, one in which everything has become digitalised, and SaaS is the only way to access essential life tools. To those who don't want to or can't pay for subscriptions to anything and everything, it seems as if societal alienation is inevitable...

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  2. Cristina 340February 26, 2023 at 3:22 PM

    Hi Alexis, I really enjoyed reading your post. I had no idea that cars are now requesting subscription for extra features like seat heating. I think this whole idea of "subscribing" to things instead of buying or owning is getting out of hand. I agree with you that things are changing maybe fore the worse and in a near future individuals will be limited to the things they can truly own.

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  3. christine fissehaMarch 2, 2023 at 12:38 AM

    This was really a quick and interesting read into a complex and interesting topic with effects that will be felt for years to come. It is not really talked about now as most things are masked by AI talk, but SaaS is truly stripping us of any true ownership. It makes me think how this can be better for a circular economy and sustainability efforts however. I really would want to see a breakdown of negative and positives effects this lack of ownership has on society, our cultures, and our consumerism habits.

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