Why not sue them?

Why not sue them?

There may well be some juristictions where taking away functions which were there when the device was first purchased, and especially refusing to give them back, will be considered illegal (and perhaps even criminal). And there are quite a few places where contracts are subject to overriding legislation outlawing unfair terms (variously defined) so trying to deny all responsibility in the small print may not work. And of course, there's the longstanding issue about whether a shrink-wrap "contract" that you can't read until after you purchase is any sort of contract at all, or just packaging materials. If there's no valid contract, revising functionality downwards in an irreversible manner sounds a lot like criminal damage (just how does it differ from a garage returning your car with the windows deliberately smashed?)

A manufacturer who sells such a device world-wide will be walking on thin ice.