New York is now the first state to have passed a right-to-repair law
Repairing a smartphone by going through the official channels isn’t cheap, but there is a peace of mind knowing that the parts are going to be genuine and that the people repairing your phone have been trained and know what they’re doing. But the question is, is it worth paying 2-3 times more than a third-party repair shop worth that peace of mind?
For some, it isn’t, which is why if you live in New York, you’ll be pleased to learn that the state is the first in the country to pass a right-to-repair law. Dubbed the Digital Fair Repair Act, it basically covers all consumer electronics, including smartphones. The idea is that with this law in place, companies are now required to sell repair parts, tools, and provide documentation to help with the repair process.
This means that not only could you repair your phone yourself, but third-party repair shops will soon be able to get their hands on genuine components and the necessary tools and documentation to help with the repair process. To be fair, companies like Apple and Samsung had previously announced their own right-to-repair programs, although in some cases, it wasn’t as easy or convenient.
Keep in mind that this law is only for New York, but as the Motherboard article points out, a similar law for cars passed in 2012, but car manufacturers essentially signed a memorandum of understanding that made it applicable across the country to avoid having to deal with the different potential variations that could arise in each state.
This means that it is possible that electronics companies could reach a similar understanding as well, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Source: Motherboard