Newsom Signs California Right To Repair Bill Into Law
from the fix-your-own-shit dept
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been on a bit of a tear lately vetoing bills that successfully pass the state legislature, including an effort to legalize psychedelics, an attempt to provide free condoms to high school students, an effort to cap insulin prices at $35, an attempt to provide severance to grocery store workers laid off by mergers, and much more.
Fortunately, it looks like California’s new right to repair legislation managed to survive the bloodshed, and was signed into law by Newsom after being passed unanimously by the state Senate and Assembly back in September. The bill (SB244) requires hardware manufacturers to make documentation, tools, and other repair essentials available to consumers and independent repair shops at affordable terms.
Right to repair advocates are, as you might imagine, pretty happy with the passage:
“This is a victory for consumers and the planet, and it just makes sense,” said Jenn Engstrom, state director of CALPIRG. “Right now, we mine the planet’s precious minerals, use them to make amazing phones and other electronics, ship these products across the world, and then toss them away after just a few years’ use. What a waste. We should make stuff that lasts and be able to fix our stuff when it breaks, and now thanks to years of advocacy, Californians will finally be able to, with the Right to Repair.”
California’s bill comes on the heels of similar victories in both New York and Minnesota, resulting in more than 20 percent of the country’s residents now living under some flavor of right to repair protections. Of course just like New York, lobbyists had some success in exempting some of the worst offenders, including the entire game console, alarm system, and agricultural and forestry equipment industries.
Still, it’s one instance where U.S. consumer protection is headed in the right direction in a country that seemingly can’t lobotomize consumer protection oversight quickly enough for industry’s liking.
Filed Under: california, consumer protection, environment, freedom to tinker, gavin newsom, hardware, right to repair
Comments on “Newsom Signs California Right To Repair Bill Into Law”
When I see a title that starts with “Newsom Signs,” I panic a little bit at this point. Good to see him not aiding the GOP genocide movement this time around.
Re:
A few in the group have figured, that things were alittle to strange. As follow the leader WASNT working. And there were other opinions in the group.
REIGHT TO REPAIR?
Apple:
LOVE IT.
NOW we can sell direct to the People who repair, insted of PAYING to that 1 company in texas.
Now we can charge for parts and Markup, to SHOW its not worth the price to REPAIR.
AND if any of our Products come threw the Sea ports, and customs will Take them away from being delivered, because ONLY Apple can have These parts from these manufactures.
OH! and we input Hardware Theft protection, so that someone cant steal Phones and PART them out. That camera will Only work in That 1 phone, and never in any other phone.
And you Paid for all of this at $1000+, when you could deal with an android phone that you could swap over to a New phone DIRECTLY/Quickly for $100-600.
Follow the money - always
“lobbyists had some success in exempting some of the worst offenders”
No doubt those are the ones who contributed (bribed) the most money.
Re:
Sometimes it’s just the most effective messaging, good or bad, that gets people to be loud. That’s money. It’s kind of sad and funny how many people think everything is a direct bribe, when things are far more nuanced and insidious. Not that i discount bribes and campaign contributions, or the threat of the withholding of such.
… are you renting, leasing, or otherwise “not actually owning” that piece of farm equipment? Expect some twisted contracts in the future.
And here’s why Apple is happy to endorse the law:
Apple’s software locks are not manufacturing flaws or design defects. The fact that they lock the phone when you replace the screen is “working as intended”. The device has reduced functionality, the manufacturer is not liable.