Biden Administration to Direct FTC to Draft New Right to Repair Rules [Report]

The Biden administration plans to direct the Federal Trade Commission to draft new Right to Repair rules that will stop manufacturers from limiting a consumers' ability to repair products, reports Bloomberg.

While the agency will ultimately decide the size and scope of the order, the presidential right-to-repair directive is expected to mention mobile phone manufacturers and Department of Defense contractors as possible areas for regulation. Tech companies including Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have imposed limits on who can repair broken consumer electronics like game consoles and mobile phones, which consumer advocates say increases repair costs.

It's likely that the order could also benefit farmers who have been struggling against manufacturers who have instituted proprietary tools, software, and diagnostics to prevent third-party repairs. Apple has also been taking steps to block iPhone repairs. For example, with the launch of the new 5G iPhone 12, the company has paired the camera to the logic board, making it impossible to replace the component without running proprietary Apple software.


The executive order could be released in the coming days and is designed to drive "greater competition in the economy, in service of lower prices for American families and higher wages for American workers," according to White House economic adviser Brian Deese.

You can learn how to support Right to Repair legislation in your state by clicking here.

More details in the full report linked below...

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