President Biden backs consumers' right to repair and acknowledges the anticompetitive practices of electronics manufacturers
“Too many areas, if you own a product, from a smartphone to a tractor, you don't have the freedom to choose how or where to repair that item you purchased.”
Electronics manufacturers now face a White House explicitly framing their repair restrictions as anticompetitive, giving the FTC political cover to pursue enforcement against phone makers and others.
Independent repair shops and device owners get a named ally at the top of government for claims against warranty-voiding practices and locked-down parts.
Second-order effects
Manufacturers who resisted state-level repair bills are pushed toward pre-empting federal action — a path Apple ultimately took when it announced support for nationwide right-to-repair regulation at a White House event.
Parts, tools, and documentation become a new compliance surface, shifting some aftermarket revenue from manufacturers' authorized networks toward third-party shops.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, repairability becomes a design-stage constraint rather than an afterthought, with advocacy moving on to what The Verge flagged as the next targets: unsustainable designs and software locks.
The US-EU regulatory alignment sketched in the 2020 proposals points toward repair access becoming a standard market-entry requirement across major jurisdictions rather than a patchwork of state laws.
The trend: Right to repair is consolidating from grassroots and state-level advocacy into coordinated federal policy, with manufacturers shifting from opposition to negotiated compliance.
When you own a product, you should be able to repair it yourself. That's why I included support for the “right to repair” in my Executive Order. Now, companies like Apple and Microsoft are changing their policies so folks will be able to repair their devices themselves.
Great to see @POTUS supporting the #RightToRepair. His Admin has already taken steps over the last year to push for greater access to repair and we're working to make this a reality for consumers in California. More to come soon! https://twitter.com/...
🚨 We'll continue to work with @POTUS and @FTC on giving more and more Americans a real and tangible ‘Right to Repair’ on everything from their iPhones to tablets. Next up is passing my #RightToRepair legislation in New York and creating a model for other states to follow! https:/…
Unfortunately the replies don't realize how important right to repair is. It isn't just about *you* repairing something, it's about being able to have anyone repair your device and get parts. Something that Apple, Tesla, and other vendors just don't do. You must go through https:…
one of the more positive tech policy advancements in the last few years has been watching the right to repair movement shift from niche nerd fare to massively mainstream https://twitter.com/...
Governments all over the world are now figuratively and literally subtweeting Apple's business practices. Reminded of how Google's reputation went from “Don't be evil” to being fined or sued by regulators every few months. Chickens come home to roost slowly then all at once. http…
Alternatively, companies could be permitted to make products with different tradeoffs and consumers could choose one product over another because of different attributes. Full FTC report started with a conclusion about big companies & worked backwards IMO. https://www.ftc.gov/...…
.@POTUS's Executive Order announced support for the “right to repair” products. Since signing, @FTC announced a policy of greater enforcement against illegal repair restrictions. Now companies like Apple and Microsoft are making it easier for people to fix their electronics.
Thank you, President Biden. Whether it's trucks, cars, computers, phones, tractors, medical devices & prostheses, government has a crucial role to play in advancing & upholding the rights of Americans to tinker with & repair our property: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.c…
“Too many areas, if you own a product, from a smartphone to a tractor, you don't have the freedom to choose how or where to repair that item you purchased.” https://www.vice.com/...