The ‘right to repair’ advocates will be thoroughly pleased with the latest development today as Minnesota has passed a bill that gives more power to consumers. Back in April of this year, the houses in the Minnesota Legislature proceeded with a right-to-repair language, allowing those living in the U.S. state to be handed more control and options on how they want their devices serviced.
New ‘right to repair’ bill also includes smart sneakers, but as you would expect, some categories have not been included
Governor Walz signed the Digital Fair Repair Act today, but it should be known that the law will go into effect beginning July 1, 2024. After it goes into effect, manufacturers will be obligated to offer various solutions to people living in Minnesota on how they want their affected devices repaired. This will include the same tools, parts, and documentation that Apple and other companies use with their repair processes.
As for which categories are included in the bill, they are smartphones, tablets, smart home devices, smart watches, TVs, washing machines, refrigerators, electronic toys, blenders, and even smart sneakers. However, what was not included in the bill were devices that fall in the video game consoles, farm equipment, medical devices, motor vehicles, and cybersecurity tools categories.
Regardless, it is a step in the right direction, as it will save potentially millions in repair charges from companies by locking down services for customers. Companies like Apple and even Microsoft are often the target of this particular subject. They are often criticized for charging its consumer base an insanely higher amount than what it would cost them if they visit a third-party outlet.
The new ‘right to repair’ bill also mentions that manufacturers must offer resources for free, even to those living outside of Minnesota. Companies like Apple have often spoken against the ‘right to repair’ movement, saying that self-repair procedures can harm the consumer, but some may conclude that such giants often make such remarks for their own benefit as they can charge exorbitant sums for simple repairs.
The technology giant did introduce its Self Service Repair program for iPhones in 2022, but experts have deemed it more as a hassle than Apple portraying itself as a ‘people pleaser’ in the pursuit of giving third-party individuals an option to repair its devices.
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