I look at it from a free-markets perspective. I'm a big fan, you see.
Monopoly-inclined companies hate free markets, because they'd rather not compete fairly. They tend to think of customers not as respected partners, but as their property. We are cows that they are entitled to milk.
In this case they are taking advantage of information asymmetries, a size asymmetry, and human cognitive biases to reduce the freedom in the marketplace. It's bullshit, but very profitable bullshit. Profitable enough that they could buy the laws they wanted.
Monopoly-inclined companies hate free markets, because they'd rather not compete fairly. They tend to think of customers not as respected partners, but as their property. We are cows that they are entitled to milk.
In this case they are taking advantage of information asymmetries, a size asymmetry, and human cognitive biases to reduce the freedom in the marketplace. It's bullshit, but very profitable bullshit. Profitable enough that they could buy the laws they wanted.