@c64whiz @GossiTheDog
This was honestly my first thought.
The vast majority of the tv-news-watching public barely understands computers as it is through no real fault of their own as they have been spoonfed "magic and mystery" since the dialup days.
The distinction of "open source = MORE dangerous than big company software" would be very easy for a front of united major media outlets owned by a handful rich folks to spread and most people will not be equipped to tell facts from misinformation.
How well have those open source legal protections been working against the "smart TV" industry? I'd bet every TV holding shelf I hit at Wal-Mart will be stocked with misappropriated GPL code and no source distribution.
This is the same tactic major corps use to obtain IP for themselves.
Lock up the originator in tedious, costly busywork (typically legal, claiming infringement to start a costly time-consuming trial, for most corps) and then when the originator can't handle it and collapse under the weight of it all, the corps take the product as their own.
Tying up repos with vulnerabilities that might not get noticed just might work out well for the major software outfits in the long run.
It's reprehensible and a little more haphazard, but it sure looks awfully familiar.