(Photo by ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)
Not long ago, the tech industry tried its best to squash the Right to Repair movement. But Google is now the latest company to vocally support it, as well as right-to-repair legislation.
On Thursday, the search giant formally endorsed a right-to-repair bill being considered in Oregon, with the hopes that other states follow suit.
“This legislation represents an inclusive compromise that brings tech companies, small repair companies, environmental leaders and legislators to the table to find common ground and support the repair movement,” the company wrote.
After years of opposition, the tech industry has done a 180-degree turn in supporting the Right to Repair movement. Momentum started to shift in 2021 after the Federal Trade Commission and the Biden administration pushed the tech industry to cut down the barriers styming users and third-party repair shops from repairing today’s electronics.
(Credit: iFixit)The momentum then gained steam as states—including New York, Minnesota, and California— passed their own right-to-repair bills, which require vendors to supply repair parts, tools and guides to product owners. (Oregon’s proposed law intends to follow the same principle.)
As a result, Apple —once infamous for trying to lobby against such legislation— ended up pledging its support for both California’s Right to Repair Act and for a nationwide law last year. In 2022, the iPhone maker also began offering its own self-service repair program to users.
Google has also been supporting user-led repairs by selling replacement parts and guides for Pixel devices through iFixit. In Thursday’s announcement, the company said it's “excited to reaffirm” its support for the Right to Repair movement by endorsing the legislation in Oregon.
To back up that commitment, the company released an eight-page white paper that outlines Google’s approach to repair while also offering recommendations to US lawmakers on how they can fairly regulate the industry. For example, Google says any right-to-repair legislation should focus on “repair outcomes rather than design mandates,” offer reasonable time frames to vendors, and prevent device makers from using software barriers to block third-party repairs.
The company also recommends lawmakers focus on "devices that are repaired by an OEM’s existing repair offerings." In other words, Google should only be required to supply repair guides and replacement parts for products it already fixes — not for those it doesn't or those for which support has been phased out.
"To extend beyond this original scope in the future, policy makers might consider including specific device categories, including devices that are costly to replace and sold in large volumes, or including devices that would last meaningfully longer and lower consumer costs if subject to repair laws," Google added.
In the same announcement, the company also to took an apparent shot at Apple’s repair program, which requires iPhone owners to type in the product's IMEI number and ID of the repair manual. In contrast, Google said: ”We ensure that parts for our phones are accessible to the public. We also do not require burdensome parts pairing or registration, meaning that a properly installed screen or battery will work no matter who is doing the repair.”