(San Francisco) US giant Apple confirmed on Wednesday that it supports a California law, currently under discussion, that requires major consumer electronics manufacturers to make their devices user-serviceable, without the need for them to be repaired. bring to store.
This law, Right to Repair Act, requires manufacturers to provide consumers with the tools, spare parts and information necessary to allow them to repair their devices themselves.
“Apple supports the Right to Repair Act so that all Californians can have better access to repairs and protect their security and privacy,” the iPhone maker said.
The consumer protection organization Public interest research group (PIRG), which champions the project, called Apple’s position an “unexpected reversal”, adding that the group has so far been a staunch opponent of such legislation.
Similar laws have already been passed in a handful of states across the country, the organization said.
“It’s not just about providing the parts and tools, it’s about building consumers’ ability to make environmentally responsible choices,” said Liz Chamberlain, who runs repair advice site iFixit.
“The right to repair has progressed behind the backs of the big tech groups, it was time for Apple to take a step,” she added.
More and more countries are trying to impose on the main manufacturers of electronic devices, and especially smartphones, to make them repairable without the need to change a large part or the entire device.
The European Parliament thus voted at the end of June on a regulation which will require manufacturers from 2027 to build models allowing easy replacement of the battery of the device.
France, for its part, introduced in 2021 a “repairability index” which allows consumers to know which devices they can repair most easily by themselves, a system which will be extended to the whole of France. European Union in 2025.
