President Joe Biden has offered more support for the right to amend the rules, after one last summer. He that many companies have made it difficult for consumers to fix their own devices. Biden also waved at Apple and Microsoft for changing their right-to-repair policies before the Federal Trade Commission takes further action on the matter.
Among dozens of other issues covered by the executive order, she encouraged “the FTC to issue rules against anticompetitive restrictions on the use of independent repair shops or DIY repairs on their own devices and equipment.” The agency would fight the illegal right to repair restrictions by enforcing existing laws and doing more to help consumers and small repair shops fix products.
“Denying the right to repair drives up prices for consumers, it means independent repair shops can’t compete for your business,” Biden said. “Many areas, if you own a product, from a smartphone to a tractor, you are not free to choose how or where to repair that item you bought.”
The president noted that in many cases, the consumer has to go to a dealership or manufacturer and pay the asking price for the repair. He added that he was pleased to hear that the FTC unanimously voted to “increase enforcement against restrictions on illegal repairs.”
Late last year, both announced programs that would help consumers repair their own iPhones, iPads and Surfaces. “What happened was a lot of these companies said, ‘You’re right. Let’s do it voluntarily. You don’t have to order us to do this,’” Biden said. “For example, Apple and Microsoft are changing their policies so that people can fix their own phones and laptops — although I’m not sure I know how to do that.”
The president added that measures like those taken by Apple and Microsoft, as well as potential state and federal regulations, “will make it easier for millions of Americans to fix their electronics instead of paying an arm and a leg to fix it or just throwing the game away.” device out.”
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