Now I understand better what you are saying, but I think your complaint is less about requiring an app, and more about the app requiring a web-service to operat

Now I understand better what you are saying, but I think your complaint is less about requiring an app, and more about the app requiring a web-service to operate. Having said that, I think the market has spoken. This isn't an issue for most people. As you have said, most customers are not concerned about privacy, ignore if they should be or not...they aren't. We're actually looking at privacy and communications around privacy as a selling point. Most consumers like the idea of being able to control their devices from their phone, or just see the data which ends up in the cloud. I understand your rant, but most people are not technically adept as you are, and want the simplicity that an app and a login give them. The points you mention are valid, but if the majority of customers don't care, why should the company? ....to a certain extent, yes, there are the just be good to your customers, but beyond that, if the customer expects an app, as a business we need to satisfy that need. The example that goes to your point is the smart home company that bricked everyone's house a few months ago. That was insane. But most companies are not operating like that, and don't have the level of consumer purchase commitment as the items you are describing.