Leah is wrong and this article is very misleading. Read only proprietary code is not a software freedom issue. Sure, it would be better if it was free, but this code is read only. There is no unjust between the developer and the user. Since the developer can't change the read only code either, it is part of the device.
The updates however, are actual rewriteable code, meaning that it has to be free. Or the developer has unjust power over its users.