Americans are increasingly interested in fixing things rather than throwing them away, but repair legislation faces resistance from manufacturers.
Shift in mindset: Fixit culture is rising in the US, with consumers showing more interest in prolonging the life of their belongings.
* Online how-to videos get hundreds of thousands of views, and community repair workshops have taken off since around 2009.
Policy work needed: “Right to Repair” legislation aims to have manufacturers provide consumers and independent repair companies with access to necessary parts, tools, and service information.
* Dozens of Right to Repair bills are in progress, and some states like New York have already passed related legislation.
Resistance from manufacturers: Tech sector trade association TechNet is concerned the bills would provide “unvetted third parties” with ~~”sensitive diagnostic information tools and parts.”~~
* Apple and Samsung have expanded their self-repair programs and independent service provider networks in response to consumer demand.
Fix My Phone SF owner Michael Ghadieh says the availability of replacement parts has improved but manufacturers’ trade-in deals may have negatively affected his repair business.
This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.
Leave a Reply