Check logitech. They fucked all thier universal remotes that were deliberately designed ( by logitech) to use their web interface for programming last year. Zero consequences so far.

As someone with a perfectly fine and functional harmony 525 i am still deeply, deeply pissed.

If you don't let it update (by removing its access to the open internet), then after February you should still be able to do this. You'll lose the ability to control it from outside the home via the internet/mobile, but it won't be e-waste.