Photo:
‘Tech Giant Advocates for Implementation of a Comprehensive Federal Right to Repair Law’
Apple has surprised many by expressing its support for federal right to repair regulations. At an event hosted by the Biden administration, Apple VP Brian Naumann proclaimed that the company backs a uniform federal law that balances repairability with product integrity, data security, usability, and physical safety. He also confirmed that Apple intends to honor California’s new repair provisions across the United States. This marks a significant shift for Apple, which has a history of opposing right to repair rules. In recent years, however, the company has started selling parts and tools to consumers and providing access to repair guides for iPhones and Macs. Apple also backed Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman’s right to repair bill in California before it was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Under California rules, device makers are required to stock replacement parts and tools and offer repair documentation for a certain period of time based on the cost of the gadget. Apple already sells parts and repair tools nationwide, but if it follows California provisions, these items and its repair guides would be available for years to anyone in the country.
In addition to pledging to honor California’s right to repair provisions, Naumann outlined what an ideal federal law should entail. He emphasized the need to maintain privacy, data, and device security features, ensure transparency for consumers about the type of parts used in a repair, apply prospectively to allow manufacturers to focus on building new products, and create a strong national standard that benefits consumers across the US and reduces confusion caused by potentially conflicting state approaches.