“Manufacturers, be warned: It’s time to clean up your act and let people fix their stuff,” said Nathan Proctor, a right-to-repair policy advocate.

Rohit Chopra, a Trump appointee to the Federal Trade Commission, took a not-so-subtle jab at the tech giant.

“When you signal to the industry, ‘Totally go to town, do whatever you want, you’re safe with us,’ they will."

Consumers' concerns about privacy aren't academic -- they can have real consequences on our economy. Studies show that when consumers are concerned about their privacy, they limit their online economic and civic activities.