How do I avoid enshitification of my keyboard and mouse

RestrictedAccount@lemmy.world to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world – 294 points –

I have been using Logitech peripherals for years. Logitech gear always just worked.

Now they demand internet accounts to use the features of the keyboard and mouse that I purchased. WTF?

Not only that, have to use wide-open-to-snooping Chrome to adjust the settings. You cannot adjust/use your mouse and keyboard if you just use Firefox.

This only makes sense if they are planning (or are already) tracking my every move online to sell to advertisers or spooks.

What are the good options?

Also, if anybody sees how these changes could be benign, please let me know.

EDIT:

By popular demand:

The keyboard I bought that started this journey: MX Keys S

The key feature that first demanded cloud access: Swithing between computers, now it is requires it to adjust the receivers. I have both a Bolt and a Unifying receiver.

Mouse (actually a trackball) that now is requesting that I use a Chrome Browser to adjust it: M570

Software:
The Logi SetPoint Settings I open from Windows now requires you to log into your Logitech account to make changes to your Unifying or 2.4 ghz usb receiver. This link takes you to a screen that says Logi Web Connect. It does not work unless you use the latest version of Chrome, Edge, & Opera, but reccomends Chrome for the best experience.

Logitech + used to require this to enable options, but I don’t see it on my Windows computer anymore. It is still on my Mac, but upon opening it to confirm for this message, it seems to be announcing that it is now able to incorporate AI into everything I type. (ugggh)

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Woah, can you elaborate on this please? I haven't heard of this, and we use a lot of these devices at work. Which devices are affected? What's the software/chrome thing?

I first noticed the requirement to make adjustments via the cloud when I bough new keyboards that could easily switch between different computers. They use the new BOLT rather than he old Unifying Receiver. I wrote it off as a lazy way to do that feature, but OK. It was not the main reason that I purchased the keyboards, but it was one of the reasons, but I can live without it.

I was using the keyboards without the account.

Then it got too cumbersome and I established the account.

Today, I tried to adjust the settings of one of my mice which still uses the unifying receiver. It took me to the account somehow. But it would not let me log into the account and make the changes because I am not using the latest version of Chrome (I was using Firefox). (Note it did not say a Chromium browser, but rather the Google owned product).

I don’t see how any of this requires communication with a cloud server.

It's probably going to a web interface for RGB and maybe mouse sensitivity instead of special software.

Not sure why it would require Chrome to do so, but that doesn't mean it's constantly talking to Chrome when you use it either.

It doesn't seem like we're getting all the information