The American regulator FTC is going to make new rules around the so-called ‘right to repair’. As a result, companies would, among other things, have a more challenging time resisting repairs by third parties.
The Federal Trade Commission, the US competition authority, will draw up new rules on limiting and hindering repairs by third parties. Large tech companies such as Apple often make it difficult to have repairs carried out outside of their own stores. With the new rules, users should be given more choice about who repairs their device.
The order is part of an executive order from US President Joe Biden. The FTC is now going to issue guidelines to improve competition in the market. The executive order states, among other things, that repairs are more expensive and time-consuming due to restrictions imposed by manufacturers in that area.
The FTC has long been critical of the way tech companies deal with this topic. For example, the regulator previously criticized the barriers that tech companies erected to repair devices themselves. The subject is also receiving attention in the European Union. For example, at the end of 2020, the European Parliament adopted new rules for the repairability of devices.
