As Apple shows, Californians can fix their own possessions

If it’s broke, fix it

Not a lot of companies inspire the brand loyalty that Apple does. After all, the maker of Macs since 1984 and iPhones since 2007 did put the world in our pockets. But while Apple generally garners accolades, one of the company’s core business practices has been rotten to consumers.

For years, Apple has monopolized product repair by withholding the parts and tools that customers and independent repair shops need to fix broken products. That’s finally changing. On Nov. 17, Apple announced that it will begin sharing with the public more than 200 parts and tools for its products, starting with the iPhone 12 and 13 lineups and its new Macs. This program will presumably grow to include newer smartphone models and Mac computers.

That’s a huge breakthrough for the growing Right to Repair movement, which has been working to pass legislation to make sure that all Americans have the right to repair not just their phones but anything they buy and own.

Manufacturer-imposed restrictions are not necessary and not fair. California legislators should fix this problem with a state law requiring manufacturers to make tools, parts and manuals available to consumers and third-party repair shops.

This year, California was one of a record 27 states considering right-to-repair bills. The Medical Device Right to Repair Act, introduced by Sen. Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, would have eliminated the hurdles medical device manufacturers have created to prevent hospital repair technicians trying to focus on COVID-19 patient care from fixing life-saving equipment. That bill earned the endorsement of the California Hospital Association and passed through two committees without an opposing vote but ultimately died in the Appropriations Committee after vehement opposition from medical device industry groups.

California’s bill shows how this issue goes beyond just phones; Apple is far from the only company with a history of hostility toward competition in its repair market. John Deere, for example, won’t sell farmers the software tools they need to fix their tractors.

People in California are trying to fix everything from laptops to household appliances and running into roadblocks erected by manufacturers who want to control the repair process. A CALPIRG study from earlier in 2021 found that repairing more products and using them longer would save Californians $4.3 billion per year, or $330 per family.

Repair not only helps consumers, it helps prevent waste. When people find it inconvenient to fix a product, they’re more likely to give up and buy a new one — especially when it comes to continuously, incrementally updated products such as smartphones. Empowering more independent repair options would extend the lifespan of our stuff, reducing the material drain and pollution of manufacturing and reducing the electronic waste (the world’s fastest-growing domestic waste stream) heading to landfills.

That makes the complete Uturn from America’s favorite gadget-maker a big step forward for consumers and the planet. For years, Apple’s lobbyists told lawmakers that sharing access to parts, service tools and manuals would result in safety, security and intellectual property risks. When an iPhone’s battery died or its screen cracked, Apple insisted that only an Apple-authorized repairperson could fix it. But independent repair specialists knew that these claims were overblown, and this recent announcement shows better repair policies are possible.

Let’s reclaim our right to fully own our own stuff and keep the momentum from the Apple announcement going until all products are built to be easy to fix and, better yet, built to last. Apple’s capitulation is evidence that state legislators should provide legal protections for repair.

Their constituents across the political spectrum will appreciate it.