Apple has appeared to have had a change of heart, as the tech giant is now backing a California right-to-repair bill that would allow consumers the ability to repair their own technology.
According to CNBC, which reportedly received a letter that contained the company’s intent, Apple will back California Senate Bill 244, which would mandate that manufacturers allow customers to fix their broken or damaged devices on their own.
The bill was introduced by state Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman, who also shared the letter last week, sharing that Apple’s policy team agreed with the proposed legislation.
In March, when Eggman first announced the bill, she said she was trying to “give consumers the choice to save some money.”
While Apple showed support, Eggman’s letter noted that the company would not support the bill if it allowed repair shops to turn off Apple’s anti-theft remote locks, which often create trouble when consumers try to repair or activate old devices that have been sold.
Apple also noted that the bill would need to require repair shops to inform customers that they were using “non-genuine or used parts” when making repairs.
“We support SB 244 because it includes requirements that protect individual users’ safety and security, as well as product manufacturers’ intellectual property. We will continue to support the bill, so long as it continues to provide protections for customers and innovators,” the company’s lobbyists wrote in the letter seen by CNBC.
KCBS Radio’s Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising spoke with Nathan Proctor, the senior director of the Campaign for the Right to Repair with the Public Interest Research Group, about the support from Apple and what it could mean for the bill.
“Repair is being restricted, and as a result, people are paying more,” Proctor said.
Proctor shared that the right-to-repair isn’t solely focused on Apple and technology companies, saying that repair is an issue with everything from “toasters to tractors.”
“Generally speaking, when you can restrict somebody’s ability to fix their product, you can either force them to use your own premium authorized services at whatever price you set, or you can push them to replace the device and to get a new one because repair is ‘impossible,’” Proctor said.
As for Apple’s hesitancy in the past, Proctor shared that it has to do with the company arguing that repairs unsanctioned by Apple could result in a bad experience or more damage being done to the device.
“The truth is that people are totally capable of making their own choices, and we don’t need Apple or any other company to tell us when we can fix things,” Proctor shared.
When it comes to Apple’s change of heart, Proctor says he thinks it was “the right thing to do.”
“Apple’s support for California’s Right to Repair Act demonstrates the power of the movement that has been building for years and the ability for industries to partner with us to make good policy to benefit the people of California. I’m grateful for their engagement on this issue and for leading among their peers when it comes to supporting access to repair,” Eggman told CNBC.
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