16 ms·

GE Fridge DRM Workaround

355 points by crmrc114 6y ago

ed25519FUUU 6y ago
Cheeky post. We decided to bypass our fridge filter entirely, and instead run water from our under-sink 3M filtrate filter directly to the filters output. We just change that every six months or so and it’s used for tap water.
TwoBit 6y ago
Does Consumer Reports not shame them and reject their refrigerators for this?
TwoBit 6y ago
I thought you could avoid having a filter by using the bypass plug you get with the fridge. "If you do not want to use a water filter in the refrigerator, the filter can be replaced by the filter bypass plug that came with the refrigerator."
- seszett 6y ago
  It's the solution mentioned in the article, lifting the RFID from the bypass cartridge to install it directly on the receiver circuit board. It allows you to keep using an "expired" filter rather than no filter at all.
  - Reelin 6y ago
    But why would I filter potable tap water? If it really tastes that bad in a particular region, central filters that you install where the pipe enters the house are cheap. Just make sure to get one that you can use generic filter media with (ie it's basically just a tube of some standard size).
    - function_seven 6y ago
      People figure that they don't need to filter the water for showering, doing the dishes, flushing toilets, laundry, shaving, etc. Just drinking and ice. Both of those are at the fridge, so might as well put the filter there. But, even with all that extra volume, is a central filter still cheaper? I'm thinking about a water softener soon, might as well throw that in.
      - kls 6y ago
        If you do not have a well you most likely do not need a softener and it will just be another maintenance item and expense. If you have city water you would be better off with an activated charcoal filter or a RO unit.
        function_seven 6y ago
        My motivation for it is to eliminate all the calcium buildup on faucets, showerheads, etc. My water is very hard, and the constant cleaning I have to do is annoying. My cheapo TDS meter shows > 300ppm. I can't air dry my dishes without them coming out spotted and hazy. As far as maintenance goes, my understanding is that the salt is dirt cheap. The new hassle I'm adding to avoid cleaning is lugging 40-lb. bags down to the basement, right? I've never dealt with one before, so appreciate any insight there.
        kls 6y ago
        You have to back flush them and (at least for the two I have had in my life) tend to break a lot needing plumbing and electrical repair. Also the salt is corrosive so you need to be diligent as to where it is installed. The installers installed one of mine in the garage, near the air handler and I ended up replacing the air handler due to the location of the softener. I moved it outside while the handler was being replaced. They are of benefit in certain instances, such as yours and I would certainly buy another one if I where on a well again, but they come with their own set of headaches.
    - bb123 6y ago
      That would require modifying the plumbing system of the house, which would require to own the house or have the landlord's permission.
    - lotsofpulp 6y ago
      Even if you wanted to filter potable tap water, I am under the impression anything less than reverse osmosis is just a placebo.
      - bluGill 6y ago
        Depends on what you want to filter. I used to have unsafe water from my well, and only reverse osmosis could make it safe. However safety isn't the only reason to filter water. If it is safe to drink but looks dirty a cheaper partical filter removes mud. If it is safe but tastes bad an activated charcoal filter will often be a cheap cure. If it is hard a water softener will fix that, but you want to drink the hard water instead of the softened water (though sodium content doesn't seem to be as much of a worry as it was 30 years ago. I'm note sure that it is science changing or not). I've also seen Iron filters. Depending on the problem you need a different filter. Fridge filters only solve the simple problems where the water isn't too bad in the first place.
    - cesarb 6y ago
      We're taught since childhood that one should only drink filtered or boiled water. It's not a matter of taste, it's a matter of pathogenic microorganisms. I would feel very uncomfortable drinking water directly from the plumbing without it going through a filter.
      - seszett 6y ago
        Most people in western countries drink straight tap water without filtering and certainly not boiling it. Those things are absolutely not needed in countries with a modern water distribution network, they just bring added comfort.
        cesarb 6y ago
        I live in a large city in a major western country (Brazil), and I don't know anybody who drinks straight tap water without filtering. Every house or workplace has one or more water filters, normally connected to the plumbing (that is, there's a separate filtered tap for you to drink from), though there are also standalone filters (which are filled manually). Water for cooking is usually boiled (as a normal part of the cooking). We certainly learn in school that, to prevent diseases, water must be filtered or boiled (or bottled mineral water).
        jameshilliard 6y ago
        Brazil doesn't have effectively universally safe to drink tap water like the US and most western countries have.
      - frosted-flakes 6y ago
        Where do you live? That's certainly not the case everywhere. I drink water straight out of the well, and so does everyone else. It's normal to get a well tested when you buy a house, but unless you live near a swamp with a shallow well or something weird, you're unlikely to have any problems. There might be a pre-strain filter at the bottom of my well, but that's it. City water definitely does not need to be filtered. Some people prefer the taste of filtered water, but there's no health reason requiring house filtration.
- jdhawk 6y ago
  and then put a cheap inline filter on the water line going to the fridge. Problem solved.
  - TrueGeek 6y ago
    An in-line filter is annoying though, as the replacement light on my non-DRM fridge is actually useful. It lights up when it's time to order a new filter. And then again when it's actually time to replace. And the filter isn't behind the fridge, it's right upfront.
fsflover 6y ago
As the author suggests, please support anti-DRM [0] and right-to-repair [1] movements! [0] https://www.defectivebydesign.org/ https://www.defectivebydesign.org/ [1] https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair/Intro https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair/Intro
carlyfan 6y ago
> From the patents it looks like I can thank inventors Mr. Krause and Mr. Chernov for their freedom sucking, major appliance disabling, communist, 1984-esque idea. I know it’s just a figure of speech. But having DRM on a fucking fridge filter is the most capitalistic idea that I have ever seen. Communists don’t do this.
- bostik 6y ago
  I'm pretty sure the USSR would have loved to have technical enforcement mechanisms available so that the great unwashed masses could only use "domestic products" anywhere. Although, to be fair: a capitalist fears nothing more than a truly free market.
  - Super_Jambo 6y ago
    'Free' markets are fine there are a multitude of ways to avoid competition without regulatory oversight. From lying about weights & measures to monopolies. What capitalists fear is a competitive or perfect market. But you'll never see anything close without strict policing of firms.
    - bostik 6y ago
      That is precisely it: for a hardcore capitalist the idea of having to compete only on price and quality is horrifying. If you can't have maintainable moats, rent-seeking environments, or bought regulators/lawmakers, what's the point?
- donw 6y ago
  To be fair: communists didn't have refrigerators[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_goods_in_the_Soviet_Union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_goods_in_the_Soviet_U...
  - gattilorenz 6y ago
    To be fair: this is not true. > in 1976, only two thirds of Soviet families had refrigerators https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-durable-goods/ https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-durable-goods/ Surely not as widespread as in the US, but your view of the USSR might not correspond to reality.
Reelin 6y ago
I make it a point to always expand DRM as digital restrictions management. The world hardly needs more doublespeak. > This website is best viewed with proper web browsers such as Lynx or Elinks. I love it!
- mlang23 6y ago
  Yay, lynx!
- dingaling 6y ago
  One of the few achievements of which I am proud from my time with ${BIGCORP} was getting 'digital restrictions management' into a C-level deck.
- daveoc64 6y ago
  I personally find it hypocritical that they say it works best in "proper web browsers", yet the page has some pretty basic HTML errors in it: https://validator.w3.org/nu/?doc=https%3A%2F%2Fgefiltergate.com%2F https://validator.w3.org/nu/?doc=https%3A%2F%2Fgefiltergate....
baybal2 6y ago
Product as a Service at its finest You buy a thing, but still don't own it after the purchase. Think of having to pay rent to live in your own house.
- bb123 6y ago
  > Think of having to pay rent to live in your own house. So land taxes?
  - lordofgibbons 6y ago
    I hope you enjoy roads leading up to your house, and schooling for your children because that's what your land tax is paying for. This is more like "protection" racket
    - dillonmckay 6y ago
      So, if I stop paying my landtax, they take away the roads and schools, or take away my home?
      - huffmsa 6y ago
        3) they take away you.
        kls 6y ago
        Not for land taxes at least not in the US, if you do not pay your land taxes, the bill goes up for auction, someone pays it and you owe that person interest and principle. If you do not pay it for a certain amount of years, they can call for an auction of the asset and they are the first guarantee of settlement for their principle and interest. Then mortgage, then mechanics lien, etc. etc.
        kgermino 6y ago
        That definitely varies. In my area the city just takes your house, evicts you, and auctions the property.
rkagerer 6y ago
Only our water filters are made to xyz magical standards with pure unicorn piss and rainbows.
kwhitefoot 6y ago
Just refuse to buy anything from GE and make sure you tell everyone why. Sony lost me as a customer when they tried to install a rootkit on my computer. Now that I know about this sort of thing happening at GE I can cross them off my list of potential suppliers too (not a big deal of course because GE don't sell much, perhaps nothing at all, here in Norway).
- kls 6y ago
  I will throw my hat in with you, I have never, ever, ever bought a Sony product after that incident. Had you or I done the same thing (hacking and exploiting that many computers) we would probably just be seeing the light of day now from our stint in prison. They got what amounted to a slap on the wrist and no one was criminally prosecuted. Therefore I will never purchase another of their products so long as I live. As far as the main point of the thread, honestly, the older I get, the more of a Luddite I become when it comes to home electronics and appliances. I purchased and restored an older model Viking range due to it being mostly straight electronics, mechanics and pneumatic. I was able to rebuild the whole thing in 2 days. Anymore the appliance repair guys don't want to deal with repairs, unless the appliance is throwing a code and all they have to do is replace a logic board. Usually they just come out and tell you to buy a new one from them. So I have gotten to the point where, I just want simple stuff that I can repair myself. I have a commercial refrigerator and a commercial stand up freezer for this reason, they are built with repair in mind and generally use stock interchangeable parts that are simple and durable. If a person really wants to opt out of this appliance DRM game, buy used commercial equipment or boutique semi-pro home appliances. They really are better quality and most are built to be repaired and last a lifetime.
  - grogenaut 6y ago
    So sony lost 2 customers. And won the recent console generation. If you play games are you now boycotting pubg (battleye), riot (valorant denuvo), Bethesda (doom denuvo), blizzard (warden), or many many other rootkit anticheats/antipiracy?
    - 6y ago
rrmm 6y ago
Wow this is timely for me. Just ran into this issue a few weeks ago when my mother's refrigerator needed a filter. I bought the bypass kit and figured I'd switch the RFID chips in eventually, but I haven't had a chance to due to everything going on at the moment. Stuff like this is trash. So often you only find out you have this technology after it's too late and own an appliance with it. I am not a fan of more regulations, but if large companies are going to insist on acting like unprincipled jerk-ass immature children about things, more regulation is exactly what they're going to get. And I'll gladly vote for them. If companies show again and again they can not act responsibly without regulation, I don't have time to listen to them whine about it any longer.
- wu_187 6y ago
  The worst part is often people don't buy their refrigerator, it comes with their house/apartment as a package deal. So you would literally have no clue that this is a thing until it happens. And in the case of an apartment, you literally have no choice in the matter (cant use your own refrigerator) if the apartment maintenance wont replace the filter.
  - phrotoma 6y ago
    Check out Cory Doctorow's novella "Unauthorized Bread". It's about _exactly_ this problem.
  - greggman3 6y ago
    Where is this? I've been in > 25 apartments. Only once did it come with a fridge. It was easily 20yrs old, still worked, but 100% sure the landlord would have let me replace it with my own
    - qppo 6y ago
      The only place I've lived where refrigerators weren't the norm in a unit was Los Angeles.
      - 6y ago
beloch 6y ago
We're used to the idea of this happening when companies sell printers, game consoles, etc. at the slimmest of margins and rely on the sale of associated consumables (e.g. ink) to make a profit. We're starting to see this kind of practice on an increasing number of big-ticket items where the consumables (filters in this case) represent a tiny fraction of the overall cost. GE isn't making the majority of their money off of selling you replacement filters, yet they've gone and done this to make a few extra bucks. I have a Samsung TV that tries to show me postage stamp sized ads when I'm in it's interface. I spent thousands on the thing and Samsung will be lucky to get pennies from those ads. I add filters to block the domains those ads are coming from to my router periodically, but Samsung keeps coming up with new ones. The next TV I buy will not be a Samsung, and I suspect the author of this article has bought his last GE appliance. Why are companies driving away people who make multi-thousand dollar purchases with scummy behaviour that nets them spare change? Do the vast majority of people just not care? That's the only way the math makes sense.
- tiernano 6y ago
  easy way to solve the problem: disconnect the TV From the internet... do you really need a smart TV? i got my samsung a few months back, and when setting it up, never connected it to the wifi or ethernet. I have an AppleTV, XBox One and NVidia Shield all plugged in and they are the smarts... The TV is JUST A SCREEN. It shouldnt be any more. It also means that 3 years down the road, Netflix changes something and your "Smart TV" looses access, your not "forced" to buy a new one... Apple change something and the AppleTV needs replacing? its $150 quid. Your TV is $1000+...
  - fsflover 6y ago
    Except that I paid not just for the screen, but also for the additional advertised "smart" features.
    - iforgotpassword 6y ago
      But it's factored into the price. TV prices fell a lot during the last two years or so. They earn from the ads, they sell your usage stats. You get a subsidized TV. Don't connect it to the net.
otterpop 6y ago
Absolutely losing my shit at "General Electric's Integrated Führer Board(IFB)"
gandalfian 6y ago
I wonder if it is actually made by GE or just rebranded? It's a shame they could have been the USA Miele but they didn't think it was worth it I guess. Do you think they ever go to bid for a nucleur power station and the guy goes "nah, not after that fridge you sold me"?
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- jpitz 6y ago
  GE Appliances is wholly owned by a Chinese company, Haier.
- nickt 6y ago
  GE Appliances is no longer part of General Electric Company. It’s 90% owned by the Chinese company Haier and 10% owned by the US-based PE company KKR. According to Wikipedia [1], they have the right to use the GE branding until 2056. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_Appliances https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_Appliances [Edit: typo]
  - OldHand2018 6y ago
    In my opinion what is going to kill GE appliance sales more than DRM water filters is the fact that GE appliance repair is going away. GE repair workers were GE employees that knew how to fix GE appliances. They really knew what they were doing and were helpful and resourceful with the goal of repairing things instead of replacing things. A service call was expensive but absolutely worth the money. I don't think most people care too much about paying $20 every six months for a "genuine" replacement water filter (especially when we all know the health risks of counterfeit garbage) for their $2000 refrigerator. When the repair guy comes and tells you that your 10-year old fridge doesn't need to be replaced, it just needs a $200 circuit board and does the job in 10 minutes, you develop some brand loyalty. But that's all gone now because the new company got rid of it.
  - nybble41 6y ago
    You think that should make a difference? You sell someone the right to use your name on their products, you suffer the reputation damage when they misuse it. If they wanted to preserve the value of their brand then they should have insisted that the buyer use their own name on all future products.
jotm 6y ago
Haha, the Swap-a-roo method used to work with some old HP inkjets. You needed 3 old cartridges iirc, install one, power on, install the second, install the third. That's it, the next one you install would be considered "new" and would work. Apparently the printers kept track of the cartridge IDs but had a short memory. Refill all of them and use until they start leaking (so, years of constant refills). Simpler times.
wil421 6y ago
Love the low tech method of taping the RFID to the sensor. My whirlpool fridge just makes an annoying high pitched beep when the filter’s been there for ~3 months. I get used it the noise but my wife hates it. It’s been beeping for 3 months now.
- xtracto 6y ago
  Cant you like disconnect the buzzer?
yellowbuilding 6y ago
>From the patents it looks like I can thank inventors Mr. Krause and Mr. Chernov for their freedom sucking, major appliance disabling, communist, 1984-esque idea. GE is, historically, among the most anti-communist of all American companies. Its role in breaking and/or corrupting major unions and collective bargaining rights in the post-war era had few equivalents. GE, as well as the US patent system, exists in absolute service of the capitalist system.
- netsharc 6y ago
  The author throwing all sorts of names (Hitler was mentioned too) made me think he's quite childish and immature..
bronco21016 6y ago
This is one of those ‘features’ you’ll never discover on the showroom floor, only after 6 months when it decides to rear its ugly head and the return policy is long expired. It’s among the most disgusting money grabs I’ve ever seen in a product. I ran into this when I bought a set of GE appliances and was furious. I was happy to find the bypass method after some googling but I’m still holding out hope that someone hacks the board and just disables the check all together. When my friend bought his house he was lucky enough to have a refrigerator with the same ‘feature’. Luckily I was able to warn him right away so he could gather supplies for the bypass. Never again will I ever consider GE Appliances and I’m always sure to warn people.
davexunit 6y ago
This is good info, I have a GE fridge with DRM filters, but the author's anti-communist interjections are really strange.
- kortex 6y ago
  Right? DRM water filters is about one of the most neoliberal ideas out there.
mwexler 6y ago
No dates on the post. Anyone know date range this applies to? Is it still happening today? And does this happen to other fridges (I see Samsungs in a few stores, for example, are they similarly crippled)?
- bronco21016 6y ago
  My GE refrigerator is 2 years old. I’m fairly certain this is still happening as I see it mentioned on various forums related to DIY, home repair, etc pretty frequently.
jhallenworld 6y ago
This must be the new way to make fridges go obsolete. The old way is to have some part burried in your fridge which is guaranteed to wear out. I'm in the middle of fixing my old GE fridge. Buried in it is a condensation trough made out of galvanized steel sheet metal. Eventually it rusts away and fridge will make a puddle. Replacement part is $60. Of all the things that could be made of plastic, this should be it..
pojntfx 6y ago
Imagine posting this article and claiming this is communism. Another gem from this site: This website is best viewed with proper web browsers such as Lynx or Elinks. C'mon. Don't make us Anti-DRM people look like utter lunatics.
watertom 6y ago
John Deere
dotCOMmie 6y ago
How long before the fridge will "protect" us from "choice of milk". I'm sorry Dave, I cannot refrigerate unauthorized milk for you.
- jpindar 6y ago
  See Cory Doctorow's story "Unauthorized Bread".
cosmodisk 6y ago
This kind of stuff is really FU to customer's face. Phones with apps you can't delete even if you just paid $1K for it. laptops with soldiered RAM so you won't buy more. TVs with some useless preinstalled junk nobody needs. I could understand when they do it on so called loss leaders,where money comes from support or refills ( e.g printer), but when you pay a premium for what you think would be a high quality product and you get some weird crap,it just makes you hate brands.
driverdan 6y ago
Is there a site with a list of hardware that uses DRM like this?
forgingahead 6y ago
"Fridge DRM" was never something I thought I would see
ertemplin 6y ago
It looks like GE sells a bypass kit for $20 now: https://www.amazon.com/GENERAL-ELECTRIC-Plug-Bypass-WR17X23645/dp/B072DX2MQ2 https://www.amazon.com/GENERAL-ELECTRIC-Plug-Bypass-WR17X236...
- rtkwe 6y ago
  That bypass kit is a critical part of the work around the whole page is about.
milindss 6y ago
The chip on the Filter-bypass simply pops out. You can mark where the filter chip aligns on the refrigerator wall and stick it there with a tape, no need to get to the circuit board.
protomyth 6y ago
At this point lobbying for a set of laws like the car part and repair laws for appliances and electronics probably would be the best. Its a older generation in Congress so they understand those laws. You can also make some damn embarrassing commercials if you frame it that they want to make Jiffy Lube illegal then relate that to your appliances.
xrd 6y ago
This is so funny, the author has a great voice. It would be even funnier if there was a note at the top that said: "Note: this article was published posthumously by his wife. He died of contaminated water. The fridge tried to warn him."
thr0w__4w4y 6y ago
Serious question: does anyone here know specifically what data is transmitted such that the filter authenticates correctly to the refrigerator? Guessing it can't some kind of challenge-response (no processing element on filter)? I know a little bit about RFID and know a decent amount about DRM in general, but I'm specifically wondering what type of cryptography (presumably?) is used here. I've got to imagine the RFID tag provides some kind of signed data (e.g. serial number) that can be verified by the fridge's "Führer board" (poster's term, not mine). BTW this kind of stuff is everywhere, not just water filters and Keurig coffee. IMO sometimes perhaps it's justified for safety reasons (consumable parts of medical devices, laptop batteries[fires], etc.). Not so much maybe for inkjet/laser printer cartridges, coffee refills, etc. Side note: I consulted with a printer company maybe 5-6 years ago, and they pretty much convinced me (brainwashed me?) that their big concern wasn't revenue stream, but customer experience / damage to the printer. The one and only time I've owned an inkjet, I bought a cheap ink refill and it printed like shit and eventually ruptured and damaged the printer, so perhaps I was pre-disposed to believing the printer company.

355 points by crmrc114 6y ago

Cheeky post. We decided to bypass our fridge filter entirely, and instead run water from our under-sink 3M filtrate filter directly to the filters output. We just change that every six months or so and it’s used for tap water.

TwoBit 6y ago

Does Consumer Reports not shame them and reject their refrigerators for this?

TwoBit 6y ago

I thought you could avoid having a filter by using the bypass plug you get with the fridge. "If you do not want to use a water filter in the refrigerator, the filter can be replaced by the filter bypass plug that came with the refrigerator."

seszett 6y ago
It's the solution mentioned in the article, lifting the RFID from the bypass cartridge to install it directly on the receiver circuit board. It allows you to keep using an "expired" filter rather than no filter at all.
- Reelin 6y ago
  But why would I filter potable tap water? If it really tastes that bad in a particular region, central filters that you install where the pipe enters the house are cheap. Just make sure to get one that you can use generic filter media with (ie it's basically just a tube of some standard size).
  - function_seven 6y ago
    People figure that they don't need to filter the water for showering, doing the dishes, flushing toilets, laundry, shaving, etc. Just drinking and ice. Both of those are at the fridge, so might as well put the filter there. But, even with all that extra volume, is a central filter still cheaper? I'm thinking about a water softener soon, might as well throw that in.
    - kls 6y ago
      If you do not have a well you most likely do not need a softener and it will just be another maintenance item and expense. If you have city water you would be better off with an activated charcoal filter or a RO unit.
      - function_seven 6y ago
        My motivation for it is to eliminate all the calcium buildup on faucets, showerheads, etc. My water is very hard, and the constant cleaning I have to do is annoying. My cheapo TDS meter shows > 300ppm. I can't air dry my dishes without them coming out spotted and hazy. As far as maintenance goes, my understanding is that the salt is dirt cheap. The new hassle I'm adding to avoid cleaning is lugging 40-lb. bags down to the basement, right? I've never dealt with one before, so appreciate any insight there.
        kls 6y ago
        You have to back flush them and (at least for the two I have had in my life) tend to break a lot needing plumbing and electrical repair. Also the salt is corrosive so you need to be diligent as to where it is installed. The installers installed one of mine in the garage, near the air handler and I ended up replacing the air handler due to the location of the softener. I moved it outside while the handler was being replaced. They are of benefit in certain instances, such as yours and I would certainly buy another one if I where on a well again, but they come with their own set of headaches.
  - bb123 6y ago
    That would require modifying the plumbing system of the house, which would require to own the house or have the landlord's permission.
  - lotsofpulp 6y ago
    Even if you wanted to filter potable tap water, I am under the impression anything less than reverse osmosis is just a placebo.
    - bluGill 6y ago
      Depends on what you want to filter. I used to have unsafe water from my well, and only reverse osmosis could make it safe. However safety isn't the only reason to filter water. If it is safe to drink but looks dirty a cheaper partical filter removes mud. If it is safe but tastes bad an activated charcoal filter will often be a cheap cure. If it is hard a water softener will fix that, but you want to drink the hard water instead of the softened water (though sodium content doesn't seem to be as much of a worry as it was 30 years ago. I'm note sure that it is science changing or not). I've also seen Iron filters. Depending on the problem you need a different filter. Fridge filters only solve the simple problems where the water isn't too bad in the first place.
  - cesarb 6y ago
    We're taught since childhood that one should only drink filtered or boiled water. It's not a matter of taste, it's a matter of pathogenic microorganisms. I would feel very uncomfortable drinking water directly from the plumbing without it going through a filter.
    - seszett 6y ago
      Most people in western countries drink straight tap water without filtering and certainly not boiling it. Those things are absolutely not needed in countries with a modern water distribution network, they just bring added comfort.
      - cesarb 6y ago
        I live in a large city in a major western country (Brazil), and I don't know anybody who drinks straight tap water without filtering. Every house or workplace has one or more water filters, normally connected to the plumbing (that is, there's a separate filtered tap for you to drink from), though there are also standalone filters (which are filled manually). Water for cooking is usually boiled (as a normal part of the cooking). We certainly learn in school that, to prevent diseases, water must be filtered or boiled (or bottled mineral water).
        jameshilliard 6y ago
        Brazil doesn't have effectively universally safe to drink tap water like the US and most western countries have.
    - frosted-flakes 6y ago
      Where do you live? That's certainly not the case everywhere. I drink water straight out of the well, and so does everyone else. It's normal to get a well tested when you buy a house, but unless you live near a swamp with a shallow well or something weird, you're unlikely to have any problems. There might be a pre-strain filter at the bottom of my well, but that's it. City water definitely does not need to be filtered. Some people prefer the taste of filtered water, but there's no health reason requiring house filtration.
jdhawk 6y ago
and then put a cheap inline filter on the water line going to the fridge. Problem solved.
- TrueGeek 6y ago
  An in-line filter is annoying though, as the replacement light on my non-DRM fridge is actually useful. It lights up when it's time to order a new filter. And then again when it's actually time to replace. And the filter isn't behind the fridge, it's right upfront.

fsflover 6y ago

As the author suggests, please support anti-DRM [0] and right-to-repair [1] movements! [0] https://www.defectivebydesign.org/ https://www.defectivebydesign.org/ [1] https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair/Intro https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair/Intro

carlyfan 6y ago

> From the patents it looks like I can thank inventors Mr. Krause and Mr. Chernov for their freedom sucking, major appliance disabling, communist, 1984-esque idea. I know it’s just a figure of speech. But having DRM on a fucking fridge filter is the most capitalistic idea that I have ever seen. Communists don’t do this.

bostik 6y ago
I'm pretty sure the USSR would have loved to have technical enforcement mechanisms available so that the great unwashed masses could only use "domestic products" anywhere. Although, to be fair: a capitalist fears nothing more than a truly free market.
- Super_Jambo 6y ago
  'Free' markets are fine there are a multitude of ways to avoid competition without regulatory oversight. From lying about weights & measures to monopolies. What capitalists fear is a competitive or perfect market. But you'll never see anything close without strict policing of firms.
  - bostik 6y ago
    That is precisely it: for a hardcore capitalist the idea of having to compete only on price and quality is horrifying. If you can't have maintainable moats, rent-seeking environments, or bought regulators/lawmakers, what's the point?
donw 6y ago
To be fair: communists didn't have refrigerators[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_goods_in_the_Soviet_Union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_goods_in_the_Soviet_U...
- gattilorenz 6y ago
  To be fair: this is not true. > in 1976, only two thirds of Soviet families had refrigerators https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-durable-goods/ https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-durable-goods/ Surely not as widespread as in the US, but your view of the USSR might not correspond to reality.

Reelin 6y ago

I make it a point to always expand DRM as digital restrictions management. The world hardly needs more doublespeak. > This website is best viewed with proper web browsers such as Lynx or Elinks. I love it!

mlang23 6y ago
Yay, lynx!
dingaling 6y ago
One of the few achievements of which I am proud from my time with ${BIGCORP} was getting 'digital restrictions management' into a C-level deck.
daveoc64 6y ago
I personally find it hypocritical that they say it works best in "proper web browsers", yet the page has some pretty basic HTML errors in it: https://validator.w3.org/nu/?doc=https%3A%2F%2Fgefiltergate.com%2F https://validator.w3.org/nu/?doc=https%3A%2F%2Fgefiltergate....

baybal2 6y ago

Product as a Service at its finest You buy a thing, but still don't own it after the purchase. Think of having to pay rent to live in your own house.

bb123 6y ago
> Think of having to pay rent to live in your own house. So land taxes?
- lordofgibbons 6y ago
  I hope you enjoy roads leading up to your house, and schooling for your children because that's what your land tax is paying for. This is more like "protection" racket
  - dillonmckay 6y ago
    So, if I stop paying my landtax, they take away the roads and schools, or take away my home?
    - huffmsa 6y ago
      3) they take away you.
      - kls 6y ago
        Not for land taxes at least not in the US, if you do not pay your land taxes, the bill goes up for auction, someone pays it and you owe that person interest and principle. If you do not pay it for a certain amount of years, they can call for an auction of the asset and they are the first guarantee of settlement for their principle and interest. Then mortgage, then mechanics lien, etc. etc.
        kgermino 6y ago
        That definitely varies. In my area the city just takes your house, evicts you, and auctions the property.

rkagerer 6y ago

Only our water filters are made to xyz magical standards with pure unicorn piss and rainbows.

kwhitefoot 6y ago

Just refuse to buy anything from GE and make sure you tell everyone why. Sony lost me as a customer when they tried to install a rootkit on my computer. Now that I know about this sort of thing happening at GE I can cross them off my list of potential suppliers too (not a big deal of course because GE don't sell much, perhaps nothing at all, here in Norway).

kls 6y ago
I will throw my hat in with you, I have never, ever, ever bought a Sony product after that incident. Had you or I done the same thing (hacking and exploiting that many computers) we would probably just be seeing the light of day now from our stint in prison. They got what amounted to a slap on the wrist and no one was criminally prosecuted. Therefore I will never purchase another of their products so long as I live. As far as the main point of the thread, honestly, the older I get, the more of a Luddite I become when it comes to home electronics and appliances. I purchased and restored an older model Viking range due to it being mostly straight electronics, mechanics and pneumatic. I was able to rebuild the whole thing in 2 days. Anymore the appliance repair guys don't want to deal with repairs, unless the appliance is throwing a code and all they have to do is replace a logic board. Usually they just come out and tell you to buy a new one from them. So I have gotten to the point where, I just want simple stuff that I can repair myself. I have a commercial refrigerator and a commercial stand up freezer for this reason, they are built with repair in mind and generally use stock interchangeable parts that are simple and durable. If a person really wants to opt out of this appliance DRM game, buy used commercial equipment or boutique semi-pro home appliances. They really are better quality and most are built to be repaired and last a lifetime.
- grogenaut 6y ago
  So sony lost 2 customers. And won the recent console generation. If you play games are you now boycotting pubg (battleye), riot (valorant denuvo), Bethesda (doom denuvo), blizzard (warden), or many many other rootkit anticheats/antipiracy?
  - 6y ago

rrmm 6y ago

Wow this is timely for me. Just ran into this issue a few weeks ago when my mother's refrigerator needed a filter. I bought the bypass kit and figured I'd switch the RFID chips in eventually, but I haven't had a chance to due to everything going on at the moment. Stuff like this is trash. So often you only find out you have this technology after it's too late and own an appliance with it. I am not a fan of more regulations, but if large companies are going to insist on acting like unprincipled jerk-ass immature children about things, more regulation is exactly what they're going to get. And I'll gladly vote for them. If companies show again and again they can not act responsibly without regulation, I don't have time to listen to them whine about it any longer.

wu_187 6y ago
The worst part is often people don't buy their refrigerator, it comes with their house/apartment as a package deal. So you would literally have no clue that this is a thing until it happens. And in the case of an apartment, you literally have no choice in the matter (cant use your own refrigerator) if the apartment maintenance wont replace the filter.
- phrotoma 6y ago
  Check out Cory Doctorow's novella "Unauthorized Bread". It's about _exactly_ this problem.
- greggman3 6y ago
  Where is this? I've been in > 25 apartments. Only once did it come with a fridge. It was easily 20yrs old, still worked, but 100% sure the landlord would have let me replace it with my own
  - qppo 6y ago
    The only place I've lived where refrigerators weren't the norm in a unit was Los Angeles.
    - 6y ago

beloch 6y ago

We're used to the idea of this happening when companies sell printers, game consoles, etc. at the slimmest of margins and rely on the sale of associated consumables (e.g. ink) to make a profit. We're starting to see this kind of practice on an increasing number of big-ticket items where the consumables (filters in this case) represent a tiny fraction of the overall cost. GE isn't making the majority of their money off of selling you replacement filters, yet they've gone and done this to make a few extra bucks. I have a Samsung TV that tries to show me postage stamp sized ads when I'm in it's interface. I spent thousands on the thing and Samsung will be lucky to get pennies from those ads. I add filters to block the domains those ads are coming from to my router periodically, but Samsung keeps coming up with new ones. The next TV I buy will not be a Samsung, and I suspect the author of this article has bought his last GE appliance. Why are companies driving away people who make multi-thousand dollar purchases with scummy behaviour that nets them spare change? Do the vast majority of people just not care? That's the only way the math makes sense.

tiernano 6y ago
easy way to solve the problem: disconnect the TV From the internet... do you really need a smart TV? i got my samsung a few months back, and when setting it up, never connected it to the wifi or ethernet. I have an AppleTV, XBox One and NVidia Shield all plugged in and they are the smarts... The TV is JUST A SCREEN. It shouldnt be any more. It also means that 3 years down the road, Netflix changes something and your "Smart TV" looses access, your not "forced" to buy a new one... Apple change something and the AppleTV needs replacing? its $150 quid. Your TV is $1000+...
- fsflover 6y ago
  Except that I paid not just for the screen, but also for the additional advertised "smart" features.
  - iforgotpassword 6y ago
    But it's factored into the price. TV prices fell a lot during the last two years or so. They earn from the ads, they sell your usage stats. You get a subsidized TV. Don't connect it to the net.

otterpop 6y ago

Absolutely losing my shit at "General Electric's Integrated Führer Board(IFB)"

gandalfian 6y ago

I wonder if it is actually made by GE or just rebranded? It's a shame they could have been the USA Miele but they didn't think it was worth it I guess. Do you think they ever go to bid for a nucleur power station and the guy goes "nah, not after that fridge you sold me"?

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
jpitz 6y ago
GE Appliances is wholly owned by a Chinese company, Haier.
nickt 6y ago
GE Appliances is no longer part of General Electric Company. It’s 90% owned by the Chinese company Haier and 10% owned by the US-based PE company KKR. According to Wikipedia [1], they have the right to use the GE branding until 2056. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_Appliances https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_Appliances [Edit: typo]
- OldHand2018 6y ago
  In my opinion what is going to kill GE appliance sales more than DRM water filters is the fact that GE appliance repair is going away. GE repair workers were GE employees that knew how to fix GE appliances. They really knew what they were doing and were helpful and resourceful with the goal of repairing things instead of replacing things. A service call was expensive but absolutely worth the money. I don't think most people care too much about paying $20 every six months for a "genuine" replacement water filter (especially when we all know the health risks of counterfeit garbage) for their $2000 refrigerator. When the repair guy comes and tells you that your 10-year old fridge doesn't need to be replaced, it just needs a $200 circuit board and does the job in 10 minutes, you develop some brand loyalty. But that's all gone now because the new company got rid of it.
- nybble41 6y ago
  You think that should make a difference? You sell someone the right to use your name on their products, you suffer the reputation damage when they misuse it. If they wanted to preserve the value of their brand then they should have insisted that the buyer use their own name on all future products.

jotm 6y ago

Haha, the Swap-a-roo method used to work with some old HP inkjets. You needed 3 old cartridges iirc, install one, power on, install the second, install the third. That's it, the next one you install would be considered "new" and would work. Apparently the printers kept track of the cartridge IDs but had a short memory. Refill all of them and use until they start leaking (so, years of constant refills). Simpler times.

wil421 6y ago

Love the low tech method of taping the RFID to the sensor. My whirlpool fridge just makes an annoying high pitched beep when the filter’s been there for ~3 months. I get used it the noise but my wife hates it. It’s been beeping for 3 months now.

xtracto 6y ago
Cant you like disconnect the buzzer?

yellowbuilding 6y ago

>From the patents it looks like I can thank inventors Mr. Krause and Mr. Chernov for their freedom sucking, major appliance disabling, communist, 1984-esque idea. GE is, historically, among the most anti-communist of all American companies. Its role in breaking and/or corrupting major unions and collective bargaining rights in the post-war era had few equivalents. GE, as well as the US patent system, exists in absolute service of the capitalist system.

netsharc 6y ago
The author throwing all sorts of names (Hitler was mentioned too) made me think he's quite childish and immature..

bronco21016 6y ago

This is one of those ‘features’ you’ll never discover on the showroom floor, only after 6 months when it decides to rear its ugly head and the return policy is long expired. It’s among the most disgusting money grabs I’ve ever seen in a product. I ran into this when I bought a set of GE appliances and was furious. I was happy to find the bypass method after some googling but I’m still holding out hope that someone hacks the board and just disables the check all together. When my friend bought his house he was lucky enough to have a refrigerator with the same ‘feature’. Luckily I was able to warn him right away so he could gather supplies for the bypass. Never again will I ever consider GE Appliances and I’m always sure to warn people.

davexunit 6y ago

This is good info, I have a GE fridge with DRM filters, but the author's anti-communist interjections are really strange.

kortex 6y ago
Right? DRM water filters is about one of the most neoliberal ideas out there.

mwexler 6y ago

No dates on the post. Anyone know date range this applies to? Is it still happening today? And does this happen to other fridges (I see Samsungs in a few stores, for example, are they similarly crippled)?

bronco21016 6y ago
My GE refrigerator is 2 years old. I’m fairly certain this is still happening as I see it mentioned on various forums related to DIY, home repair, etc pretty frequently.

jhallenworld 6y ago

This must be the new way to make fridges go obsolete. The old way is to have some part burried in your fridge which is guaranteed to wear out. I'm in the middle of fixing my old GE fridge. Buried in it is a condensation trough made out of galvanized steel sheet metal. Eventually it rusts away and fridge will make a puddle. Replacement part is $60. Of all the things that could be made of plastic, this should be it..

pojntfx 6y ago

Imagine posting this article and claiming this is communism. Another gem from this site: This website is best viewed with proper web browsers such as Lynx or Elinks. C'mon. Don't make us Anti-DRM people look like utter lunatics.

watertom 6y ago

John Deere

dotCOMmie 6y ago

How long before the fridge will "protect" us from "choice of milk". I'm sorry Dave, I cannot refrigerate unauthorized milk for you.

jpindar 6y ago
See Cory Doctorow's story "Unauthorized Bread".

cosmodisk 6y ago

This kind of stuff is really FU to customer's face. Phones with apps you can't delete even if you just paid $1K for it. laptops with soldiered RAM so you won't buy more. TVs with some useless preinstalled junk nobody needs. I could understand when they do it on so called loss leaders,where money comes from support or refills ( e.g printer), but when you pay a premium for what you think would be a high quality product and you get some weird crap,it just makes you hate brands.

driverdan 6y ago

Is there a site with a list of hardware that uses DRM like this?

forgingahead 6y ago

"Fridge DRM" was never something I thought I would see

ertemplin 6y ago

It looks like GE sells a bypass kit for $20 now: https://www.amazon.com/GENERAL-ELECTRIC-Plug-Bypass-WR17X23645/dp/B072DX2MQ2 https://www.amazon.com/GENERAL-ELECTRIC-Plug-Bypass-WR17X236...

rtkwe 6y ago
That bypass kit is a critical part of the work around the whole page is about.

milindss 6y ago

The chip on the Filter-bypass simply pops out. You can mark where the filter chip aligns on the refrigerator wall and stick it there with a tape, no need to get to the circuit board.

protomyth 6y ago

At this point lobbying for a set of laws like the car part and repair laws for appliances and electronics probably would be the best. Its a older generation in Congress so they understand those laws. You can also make some damn embarrassing commercials if you frame it that they want to make Jiffy Lube illegal then relate that to your appliances.

xrd 6y ago

This is so funny, the author has a great voice. It would be even funnier if there was a note at the top that said: "Note: this article was published posthumously by his wife. He died of contaminated water. The fridge tried to warn him."

thr0w__4w4y 6y ago

Serious question: does anyone here know specifically what data is transmitted such that the filter authenticates correctly to the refrigerator? Guessing it can't some kind of challenge-response (no processing element on filter)? I know a little bit about RFID and know a decent amount about DRM in general, but I'm specifically wondering what type of cryptography (presumably?) is used here. I've got to imagine the RFID tag provides some kind of signed data (e.g. serial number) that can be verified by the fridge's "Führer board" (poster's term, not mine). BTW this kind of stuff is everywhere, not just water filters and Keurig coffee. IMO sometimes perhaps it's justified for safety reasons (consumable parts of medical devices, laptop batteries[fires], etc.). Not so much maybe for inkjet/laser printer cartridges, coffee refills, etc. Side note: I consulted with a printer company maybe 5-6 years ago, and they pretty much convinced me (brainwashed me?) that their big concern wasn't revenue stream, but customer experience / damage to the printer. The one and only time I've owned an inkjet, I bought a cheap ink refill and it printed like shit and eventually ruptured and damaged the printer, so perhaps I was pre-disposed to believing the printer company.