'My Printer Is Extorting Me', Complains Subscriber to HP's 'Instant Ink' Program

A writer for the Atlantic complains that their HP printer is shaking them down like a loan shark.
I discovered an error message on my computer indicating that my HP OfficeJet Pro had been remotely disabled by the company. When I logged on to HP's website, I learned why: The credit card I had used to sign up for HP's Instant Ink cartridge-refill program had expired, and the company had effectively bricked my device in response....
Instant Ink is a monthly subscription program that purports to mon