In San Jose, California, Louis Rossmann passionately implores the crowd: 'How many people here enjoy it when they get threats of lawsuits?' The audience, mostly hands raised, share his frustration with tech giants and the restrictive nature of modern devices.

The Own Your Shit tour, a US-wide series of events, targets the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s Section 1201, which Rossmann and his advocacy nonprofit Fulu aim to repeal. The legislation, enacted in 1998, prohibits bypassing digital restrictions on devices, a move seen as detrimental to consumer rights.

Rossmann’s presentation is a scathing critique of companies like Amazon and Apple, who he argues are increasingly turning physical goods into subscription services. He cites examples such as Apple running ads on customers’ dashboard screens and Amazon discontinuing stand-alone Wi-Fi products.

The tour comes at a time when consumers are increasingly frustrated with economic pressures and the rising cost of devices. Right-to-repair legislation is gaining momentum, with new regulations in the European Union aiming to make products more reparable. However, the fight for true device ownership remains a long and arduous journey.

Katharine Trendacosta of the Electronic Frontier Foundation highlights the issue of companies monetising users’ data and creating a win-win situation for themselves. The tour may be drawing to a close, but the struggle for consumer rights continues.