We've Done This Before.

Precedent exists. It's time to do it again.

Big tech has a playbook:
1. Bundle something no one asked for.
2. Call it a "feature."
3. Say it can't be removed.
4. Wait for people to give up.
People don't give up.
The Scoreboard
1998
United States v. Microsoft
Microsoft bundles Internet Explorer with Windows. Users can't remove it. Microsoft calls it a "feature."
Outcome
Found guilty of monopolization. Forced to share APIs with competitors and submit to five years of federal oversight.
Bundling unwanted software to maintain market dominance is illegal.
2003
National Do Not Call Registry
Telemarketers say you can't opt out of their calls. The DOJ disagreed.
Outcome
221 million numbers registered. Fines up to $50,120 per violation. Over $290 million recovered.
Opt-out rights can be protected at scale.
2009
EU Browser Choice Remedy
Microsoft defaults everyone to Internet Explorer in Europe. The EU forced them to show a browser choice screen.
Outcome
When Microsoft "accidentally" omitted the choice screen for 14 months, the EU fined them €561 million.
Giving users a real choice isn't optional when a company holds a dominant position.
2018
GDPR — Consent Means Consent
Companies bury consent in terms of service. The EU established that explicit, informed consent is required before collecting personal data. Pre-checked boxes don't count. Buried terms don't count.
Outcome
Over €5 billion in fines issued. Meta alone fined €2.5B+.
Companies that assume consent face severe penalties.
2022
Right to Repair Movement
Apple says you can't repair your own device. Calls it a "security risk." Multiple states passed right-to-repair provisions anyway.
Outcome
Manufacturers now required to provide repair access in several states. Apple announced it would honor California's provisions nationwide.
Sustained consumer pressure works — even against the largest companies in the world.
2024
United States v. Google
Google pays billions to be your default search engine. Users never chose Google — it was chosen for them.
Outcome
Found liable for violating antitrust standards. Behavioral remedies imposed banning exclusive default agreements.
Forced defaults that eliminate choice are anticompetitive.

The Pattern Is Clear

1. Companies claim it's impossible.
2. Consumers organize.
3. Pressure mounts.
4. Companies discover it was possible all along.

Why AI Is Next

Right now, companies are bundling AI into devices after purchase, using personal data without informed consent, and providing no meaningful way to opt out. This is the same playbook — just a new product.

Every case above started with companies saying "this is just how it works." Every one ended with people proving otherwise.

The CTRL Framework — Building on Precedent

C Consent. Ask before you use our data. Don't bury it in terms of service. Ask.
T Transparency. If AI made it or changed it, say so. Clearly. Every time.
R Removal. If you added AI after we bought it, let us remove it. Completely.
L Lever. Give us a real off switch. Not hidden in settings. Not one that breaks everything else.
These aren't new ideas. They're established principles applied to AI.

Every precedent on this page started with people who refused to accept "that's just how it works."

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