From another site:
There is speculation in the PlayStation homebrew community that the change was a way for Sony to sneak in code that will hamper modders. An online check-in is a common tactic against modded hardware, as it prevents illegally downloaded games from being played on the console unless it connects to the internet, which then begins the process of downloading and installing the latest firmware.
Inconveniencing everyone because of a sale you never had. Brilliant.
https://80.lv/articles/playstation-now-says-game-license-verification-is-a-one-time-online-check
It works the same way Xbox works where you have to play your digital game you bought one time with internet to verify it once, then it’s good to use offline.
Then I guess it ain’t such a huge deal but it’s scary for the future and game preservation.
It also makes you feel like it’s probably gonna get worse…