If you’ve ever replaced your smartphone because the screen was cracked or put a relatively new flat-screen TV out for trash pickup, you know how difficult it is to get consumer products repaired.
That’s changing. Legislation enacted or introduced in more than two dozen states requires manufacturers of everything from smartphones to farm equipment to make it easier for consumers to take damaged products to an independent repair shop — or fix the products themselves. Some state bills would provide “right to repair” protections for all consumer products, while others are limited to smartphones and laptops.
Aaron Perzanowski, a law professor at the University of Michigan and author of The Right to Repair: Reclaiming the Things We Own, says many of the products we buy are inextricably tied to the manufacturer, leading to what he calls the tethered economy. Forcing consumers to go back to the manufacturer to get their products repaired means “we’re not free of that relationship once we make a purchase and bring it home,” he says.
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Opponents of right-to-repair legislation say it would jeopardize consumers’ safety and force manufacturers to share proprietary information. “Most consumer-technology products are composed of complex electronics, which require specialized training and sophisticated test instruments to repair safely,” Dusty Brighton, representing the industry-funded Repair Done Right Coalition, said in testimony at a Minnesota House Judiciary Committee hearing in February.
Despite those concerns, several states have moved forward with right-to-repair bills. In May, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation that requires manufacturers of smartphones, laptops, appliances and other equipment to provide independent shops and consumers with the tools and instructions needed to fix their products. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed similar legislation in December. In April, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill that requires manufacturers to give farmers the tools, manuals and software they need to fix their tractors. Farmers who supported the bill said they were frequently forced to wait days for a manufacturer’s representative to repair their equipment, which hurt their profits.
California lawmakers are considering legislation that would require manufacturers of appliances and consumer electronics to make their repair manuals publicly available, sell parts to consumers, and provide consumers with the ability to open digital locks that prevent them from fixing their products. The legislation is significant because California is the nation’s most populous state and home to many large technology manufacturers.
Right-to-repair advocates say the cost of replacing damaged products costs consumers billions of dollars a year. A survey by U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy group, found that the average household spent $1,767 to buy electronic products in 2021, up 19% since 2019.
The right-to-repair movement is popular “because it’s common sense,” says Nathan Proctor, a senior director for U.S. PIRG. “People want to be able to fix stuff, and they’re sick of the excuses they get from manufacturers about why they can’t.”
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