One redditor refers to this novel airline seat design as the "Cheek Splitter 9000." /u/themondyone shares this photo from an older Boeing 737-800 operated by Japan Airlines. The text on the hump says, in English and Japanese, "Do Not Sit Here"--just in case the intention is unclear.
Various redditors claiming experience in aviation propose that the hump is there to take the seat out of use. Just putting a sign on the seat will not deter people from sitting there. This change is sometimes made to restrict the number of passengers that can travel or to make safety equipment easier for the crew to access.
Commenting on Neatorama will earn you NeatoPoints!