Oregon this week signed a Right to Repair bill into law, and it is notable because it is the first such law that puts a stop to the practice of parts pairing. Manufacturers like Apple are not able to require customers to use Apple-sourced parts that then have to be authenticated, with the bill giving Apple device owners the right to use new parts, used parts, or third-party parts.
Apple has launched repair tools for both independent repair shops and consumers, but repair components must be purchased directly from Apple. Components must be paired with a device serial number after being installed, which prevents unauthorized repairs that use third-party components. The bill states that companies cannot reduce the performance of a device or display misleading warnings for parts that are not properly paired.
According to repair site iFixit, Oregon's Right to Repair law is the strongest that has been passed to date. It does have consumer protections, such as requiring independent repair shops to have a "valid and unexpired certification" ensuring the person doing the repair has the "technical capabilities and competence necessary" to make a successful fix.
The elimination of the parts pairing restriction will allow independent repair shops to make more repairs without having to rely solely on components from Apple.
In addition to preventing manufacturers from requiring components to be free from pairing restrictions, the law requires companies to make parts, tools, documentation, and software available for smartphones produced in 2021 or later. For other electronics like computers, it is applicable to devices produced in 2015 and later.
Apple did not support Oregon's Right to Repair bill, and the company has said that it will result in safety and security issues for consumers. Apple will need to comply with the parts pairing portion of the bill for products made after January 1, 2025.
Top Rated Comments
And that’s not an outlandish example. Every country with an intelligence agency has departments dedicated to doing exactly that kind of thing.
https://www.wired.com/2016/01/nsa-hacker-chief-explains-how-to-keep-him-out-of-your-system/
That’s the reality of why Apple encrypts the data traffic across components. People want to pretend that repairs are somehow a lucrative business model for Apple when it’s a rounding error in terms of revenue.
Tech illiterate lawmakers are just bowing to the pressure from these influences in The same way the FBI for years insisted it wasn’t *technically impossible* for it to ask Apple for a backdoor to encryption just for “the good guys”.
I wish they’d lead the industry instead of holding on for dear life.
With so many smart people there, why can’t they find a way to rethink how they profitize this stuff?
The world is decentralizing technology and Apple has an amazing opportunity to lead this change. I’m not suggesting any specific action but it’s obvious that within three years Apple will be forced to do the following:
Open iMessage to Android
Support RCS
Allow direct iPhone app downloads
Provide choice for Apple competing Apps
Allow anyone to repair any device however they want
If Apple would lead the change they would be seen as supportive of individual rights. Instead, Apple is seen as putting profits above all else…including privacy.