Wanted to weigh in here. The new levels of security are purely about profit. The manufacturers want to retain control of their products, specifically the service and repair side of their balance sheets. They do not want independent shops (like mine) working on their vehicles because it equates to lost profit, plain and simple. There has been an ongoing battle between OEM's and the aftermarket for several years. OEM's use the argument that enthusiasts are working around their software, creating pollution, voiding warranties etc. They were trying to patent their operating systems. GM tightened the reigns on computer software last year by going to a per VIN license among other moves and all OEM's are making it harder and more expensive to purchase and maintain hardware and software. Example, I had the same equipment as as one of the big OEMs, until one day my hardware just stopped working. What I found out after the fact is the manufacturer of the software was killing the hardware on purpose to make it obsolete. My $2,500 plastic box became a paper weight over night because when I logged in and updated my firmware, it was programmed to die, there was even a handy message to call the supplier. The only solution; buy the newest round of hardware ($4,000-5,000) with a new license. I literally lost the rest of the year's license that I paid more than $2,000 for. There is almost no accountability for these things. We are losing ground, but some major legislation in favor of the OEM's has been blocked.
Personally I believe this is something we should all be VERY concerned about. I have written my legislators as a business owner and enthusiast. If you buy a product, do you actually own it? Did you not buy the entire vehicle, including the computer and it's operating system? Did you not buy the right to repair, maintain and modify it as you see fit?