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New York was the first US state to pass a Right to Repair bill, but it has been watered down to render it virtually worthless to consumers.
After passing the New York State Senate 2021, New York has now officially passed the Right to Repair Electronics Act. Applies to electronic devices sold in New York for the first time from July 2023, with some exceptions.
“As technology and smart devices become more and more integral to New Yorkers’ lives, it is critical that we are able to provide timely repairs to the devices on which consumers depend.”
NEW: Governor Hochul signed into law the “Right to Repair” law, with Congress agreeing to a number of changes, as outlined in the approval message. pic.twitter.com/GUBExlj5BD
— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellNY) December 29, 2022
“This law will expand consumer choice in the repair market by expanding access to the parts, tools and documentation needed for repairs,” she continues. “Encouraging consumers to maximize the life of their devices through repairs is a laudable goal for saving money and reducing e-waste.”
But Louis Rothman, an advocate for the right to rehabilitate, clearly states that Gov. Hochul’s statement “is the exact opposite of what happens with this bill because of how it was amended.” I created a YouTube video.
Rossmann’s core argument is that the purpose of the right to repair is to enable consumers to repair or replace individual broken components. As passed, he said, the bill would effectively allow companies the freedom to declare a single component unrepairable, instead offering an expensive assembly of several related parts. It claims to be
“[The] Manufacturers say that if a motherboard has a $28 bad chip, you should replace the $745 motherboard,” he says.
This is how Authorized Centers, Apple’s service at its own Apple Store, and the self-repair system work. Apple has not supplied individual motherboard components or other ICs to repair shops since the early 1980s.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s memo said the bill would “allow original equipment manufacturers to provide assemblies of parts rather than individual components where the risk of improper installation increases the risk of injury.” is confirming.
The revision also prohibits circumventing the security of the device and removes the previous requirement that the vendor provide the required password for the device. This means Apple will still allow the component to be serialized after repair.
New York’s legislation has brought it to as many states and countries as many, including members of the European Union. work to pass similar laws.In response to US and international pressure, Apple announces self-service repair program 2021but the right to repair campaigners Disagree it will solve the problem.
