California repair bill withdrawn ‘after Apple lobby’

Spread the love

The proposer of a California bill that would give consumers a right to repair by a service provider of their choice has withdrawn the affected Assembly Bill 1163. Apple, among others, would have warned about security risks with a lobby.

According to Susan Talamantes-Eggman, the proposer of Assembly Bill 1163, there was not enough support for the proposal. She will try again in January next year. She told Motherboard that “manufacturers had raised doubts with vague and unsupported claims about privacy and security risks.”

According to the site, Apple and CompTIA lobbyed against the proposal. CompTIA is a trade organization that represents major tech companies such as Apple, Samsung and Microsoft. The representatives are said to have spoken to members of the California Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee and showed the parts of an iPhone.

They also said that consumers could injure themselves if they wanted to repair their iPhone by puncturing the lithium-ion battery. Motherboard relies on two sources within the California State Assembly.

CompTIA, along with the Entertainment Software Association, previously sent a letter to the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committees warning that the right to repair would make it easier for hackers to circumvent security measures and “if not only harm the owner of the product, but also to everyone who shares their network’.

Assembly Bill 1163 would have required electronics manufacturers to make service manuals and parts available to product owners and independent repair services and shops. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, among others, supported the proposal. Manufacturers prefer to keep parts deliveries in their own hands and want influence over repair services from third parties. Apple is doing just that with its Apple Authorized Service Provider Program, although there are indications that the company is easing its policy with an Apple Genuine Parts Repair program. Many repair shops have to resort to unofficial parts from Asia for repairs.

You might also like