Yesterday we reported on how AI use seems to be driving a sudden abundance of unauthorized game ports—and it seems this isn’t the only (potentially) AI-related headache plaguing console manufacturers.

For decades, manufacturers have played a game of whack-a-mole with people trying to jailbreak their devices. The term “jailbreaking” refers to finding a way to gain root access to a device, allowing it to do things the manufacturer’s operating system prevents (like running pirated games or emulating other consoles). This requires circumventing the console’s DRM, and in the USA, at least, it’s illegal.

As an aside, if you’re wondering why jailbreaking your own device is illegal, it’s because of the way the Digital Millennium Copyright Act works. The relevant provision of the Act is 17 USC s1201, which places a blanket ban on “circumvent[ing] a technological measure that effectively controls access to a [protected] work”—but also requires that every three years, the Librarian of Congress must submit a register of works exempt from this ban. The meaning of “a work” in this context is pretty broad, covering everything from physical devices to movies and songs.

The current register is here , and it contains specific exemptions for smartphones, smart TVs, “voice assistant devices,” and routers—but not for consoles.

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