{"id":25158,"date":"2019-05-02T20:34:01","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T00:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=25158"},"modified":"2019-08-08T16:45:42","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T20:45:42","slug":"lobbying-against-right-to-repair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/02\/lobbying-against-right-to-repair\/","title":{"rendered":"Lobbying Against Right to Repair"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jason Koebler<\/a> (via Kay-Kay Clapp<\/a>, Hacker<\/a> News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

In recent weeks, an Apple representative and a lobbyist for CompTIA, a trade organization that represents big tech companies, have been privately meeting with legislators in California to encourage them to kill legislation that would make it easier for consumers to repair their electronics, Motherboard has learned.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

The lobbyists brought an iPhone to the meetings and showed lawmakers and their legislative aides the internal components of the phone. The lobbyists said that if improperly disassembled, consumers who are trying to fix their own iPhone could hurt themselves by puncturing the lithium-ion battery, the sources, who Motherboard is not naming because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said.<\/p>

The argument is similar to one made publicly by Apple executive Lisa Jackson in 2017 at TechCrunch Disrupt<\/a>, when she said the iPhone is “too complex” for normal people to repair them.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

Though Apple hasn’t publicly talked much about repair in recent months and years, Motherboard reported in March that Apple has quietly approached independent repair companies with a new program called “Apple Genuine Parts Repair<\/a>,” which would allow a select few companies to purchase repair parts from Apple with few restrictions. The slides associated with the program, obtained by Motherboard, suggest that Apple could comply with right to repair legislation without much burden.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Rory Prior<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Apple’s stance against making hardware user repairable seriously negates all their ambitions towards being a ‘green’ company. Recycling hardware for raw materials is hugely wasteful (in the rare instances it even happens) vs. extending useful life.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n