by Apple expands self-service repair to Mac notebooks.
Apple
Apple on Tuesday said it supports nationwide right-to-repair regulations that would make iPhone parts and tools available to consumers, the latest sign of the company's move toward independent repair support.
Apple It is an important symbol of the right-to-repair movement because its products are widely used and because many users have experienced a cracked iPhone screen or dead battery that required a trip to an Apple store or repair shop. Apple said at a White House event on Tuesday that it sees “real value” in the national law.
The Biden administration is pushing the right to repair as part of a broader effort to reduce so-called “junk taxes” and other anti-consumer practices that drive up prices. Biden issued a Right to Repair executive order in 2021 that directed the federal government Enforcement of applicable repair laws to promote competition.
Advocates say right-to-repair rules save consumers money and help the environment by preventing useful devices from ending up in landfills.
“The Basic Right to Repair Product also saves farmers thousands of dollars when their tractor breaks down and can create opportunities for small independent repair shops to thrive,” said Lael Brainard, director of the National Economic Council.
Brainard welcomed Apple's sister Microsoft'A “voluntary commitment” to offer parts and tools and urged Congress to pass a “National Right to Repair Act.”
“From smartphones to wheelchairs to cars and farm equipment, too often manufacturers make it difficult to access the spare parts, manuals and tools necessary for repairs,” he continued.
In a brief statement, Apple's vice president of service Brian Naumann said that Apple is making parts, tools and manuals available to independent repair shops in the US, underscoring the company's current policy under its self-service repair program.
“Apple also supports a uniform federal law that balances repairs with product integrity, data security, usability and physical security,” Nauman said.
No bill was announced Tuesday, but several panelists at the White House session suggested it could be modeled after existing state bills, including laws passed in California, Colorado, Minnesota and New York.
Apple supported California's right-to-repair bill and said it would enforce its requirements throughout the U.S. Apple said at the time that it was concerned about independent repair shops using authentic parts instead of knock-offs, as well as ensuring that independent repair shops don't Can disable Apple's software-based remote anti-theft locks.
Naumann laid out Apple's priorities on Tuesday:
“We believe a uniform federal repair law should do the following: maintain privacy, data, and device security features that help prevent theft; provide transparency to consumers about the parts used in a repair; use prospectively so manufacturers can focus on creating new products that can to conform to the proposals; and, finally, to create a strong national standard that will benefit consumers across the U.S. and reduce confusion caused by potentially conflicting state approaches.”
The recent passage of the California law and the pending national bill is a change for Apple, which has previously opposed right-to-repair laws. It makes money by selling AppleCare+ extended warranties for all its major project lines, which also drives traffic to its stores.
But Apple has softened its stance in recent years, introducing a program to rent devices and buy parts in 2021. The latest iPhones are designed to make the screen and battery switch easy. And Apple is increasingly marketing itself as an environmentally friendly company.
