In a society where people refuse to have food inspectors and some are being harmed by food poisoning, I think one could argue that there isn't something wrong with that level of action.
I think it's more like firearms. These devices can be and are used as weapons to hurt 3rd parties on the Internet. It's more like firearm owners leaving their weapons in front of their barely-sturdy windows. Then, folks needing weapons keep breaking the windows before firing them at others. The homeowners and homebuilders keep letting it happen.
So, vigilantees concerned about damage to innocent people keep breaking into the windows, stealing the guns, unloading them, and tossing them into landfills. I'd be like: "Stop putting your guns in front of the windows. Be a responsible gun owner." Enough broken windows and stolen guns might incentivize them to do that.
Soft-bricking is hardly comparable to burning something down. More like adding an extra lock and throwing away the key. Inconvenient, but not destructive.