Apple to make tools and parts required for ‘right to repair’ available nationwide – By Christopher Hutton (Washington Examiner) / Oct 24, 2023
Apple will provide independent repair shops with the parts, tools, and instructions to fix its gadgets, a 180-degree turn on the company’s position regarding the “right to repair.”
The White House will announce on Tuesday that Apple will outline plans to provide the components and tools needed to fix its products to independent merchants. IPhones and iPads were previously restricted to Apple-approved vendors for repair, making it difficult for most users to fix their own products. California signed a law earlier this month that set the stage for these policies.
“[Apple’s new policy] means that whether you are in California, Maine or Michigan, Apple will make the parts, tools, and documentation needed to repair your Apple products available to you at reasonable prices, as outlined in the California law,” National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard said in remarks prepared for an event promoting the “right to repair,” which is the ability of users to fix their own products with their own parts, according to Reuters.
California, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York have already passed “right to repair” legislation, Brainard noted, and 30 other states are considering similar legislation. Apple endorsed the California law, surprising a lot of “right to repair” advocates. Apple is now supporting national “right to repair” legislation, Brainard said.
