Communications of the ACM
Wait, There's Supposed to Be a Gadget Repair Market?
If commissioners are serious about encouraging a bigger repair marketplace, the FTC must seriously regulate how companies make their products and sell parts. That means taking on some of the most powerful tech companies, which have been working against th
The Federal Trade Commission unanimously approved a policy saying people should be able to easily repair their own technology, and outlined how the government could enact future regulations to achieve that goal. It was a warning to companies that glue together smartphones so they can't be opened, charge exorbitant fees for replacement parts, or greatly limit who can fix a device. (In short, Apple.)
It's a big moment for the Right To Repair movement, but one word from the document really stands out. In the statement's last sentence: "market," as in repair market. This is the FTC—to it, everything is a market. But the implication of creating true competition in smartphone, tablet, or computer repairs and upgrades would be a radical shift.
From Fortune
View Full Article (May Require Subscription)
No entries found