Windows 11 will no longer allow local‑only setup: an internet connection and Microsoft account are required, and even command‑line bypasses are being disabled. This turns the operating system’s first‑run into a mandatory identity checkpoint controlled by the vendor.
— Treating PCs as account‑gated services raises privacy, competition, and consumer‑rights questions about who controls access to general‑purpose computing.
msmash
2025.12.01
48% relevant
Netflix pushing navigation to the TV remote and limiting phone casting creates a two‑tier experiential regime tied to device/platform ownership and account/device relationships, resonating with the idea that vendors use OS/device control to gate user capabilities and centralize authority over what interactions are allowed.
EditorDavid
2025.11.30
60% relevant
By contrasting a rising Linux/ChromeOS share with complaints about Windows 11 becoming an 'AI‑agentic' OS, the article reinforces the policy choice users and states face between account‑gated, vendor‑controlled platforms and open alternatives where identity and privacy control are less centralized.
BeauHD
2025.10.07
100% relevant
Amanda Langowski (Windows Insider lead): "We are removing known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup experience (OOBE)…" and disabling the last known bypasses.