US FTC to defend ‘right to repair’

The US Federal Trade Commission is going to champion the ‘right to repair’. In practice, that means the FTC will encourage competition in repair markets and act against illegal repair restrictions.

The five commissioners who direct the US trade authority have there voted unanimously in favour. In the future, the FTC will monitor more strictly that consumers must and may repair their own products. The watchdog also ensures that other authorities can monitor this better. It is a policy vision that is directed against ‘the measures taken by manufacturers to make it extremely difficult to repair their products’. The policy is also aimed at small shops and repairers. It should become easier for them to offer repair services.

The FTC previously published a report in which they wrote that more and more manufacturers were using different ways to repair devices. For example, they use glue, don’t make tools available, or don’t release diagnostic software. “It is our policy that such restrictions on device or product repairs have increased the burden on consumers and businesses,” the FTC writes. “In addition, manufacturers and sellers may hinder competition for repairs and thus violate the law.”

Part of the policy is also that consumers can submit complaints more quickly about possible violations. The FTC is calling on Americans to do that online. The watchdog does not write how exactly the FTC intends to act in the future. It does say, however, that it has ‘a range of instruments at its disposal’.

Various consumer organizations such as iFixit have been fighting for years against the policy of manufacturers such as Apple regarding repairs. The platform say happy with the FTC’s decision. “Manufacturers have been bullying consumers and destroying local repair shops for too long. This new policy is a milestone that changes that,” said CEO Kyle Wiens.