[mosselman]

Sadly this is a general trend though. In the past we used to buy things, like software. Now everything is subscription based and that sucks for consumers. Look at Billings (invoicing app) for example. It used to be reasonably priced as a download, now you have to buy a monthly subscription which ends up being much more expensive than before AND they can cut you off from your own data.

This SaaS trend is good for businesses and bad for consumers (there are advantages). It is even more evil in 'real life' as Renault is doing.

[mtrimpe]

For SaaS laws that force vendors to offer the ability to export (and delete) a user's data seem inevitable in the long run though.

Given that the EU has already started on the 'right to be forgotten' issue I'd be surprised if they don't start making an issue out of this in the next couple of years.

It'll be very interesting to see what kind of effects this will have on companies like Facebook in the long term.

[mosselman]

You are right. But even when you can export, the issue remains that a mentality is developing in which consumers have to pay a lot of money to get something that you could just purchase once in the past.

If we continue along this route we'll slowly but surely have more and more barebone devices that can't do anything on their own, but require expensive subscriptions to do, what used to be, basic things. This also takes away our rights; the Renault example is very strong, you can't drive unless you pay. I'd maybe rather pay the price for the battery and replace it when it breaks, then having to continue to pay and then be stranded 2000km from home when I forgot/couldn't pay.