Google Formally Endorses Right to Repair, Will Lobby to Pass Repair Laws
Google says repair should be easy and "parts pairing" should be illegal.
www.404media.co
Google Formally Endorses Right to Repair, Will Lobby to Pass Repair Laws
JASON KOEBLER·JAN 11, 2024 AT 1:10 PM
Google says repair should be easy and "parts pairing" should be illegal.
Google formally endorsed the concept of right to repair Thursday and is set to testify in favor of a strong right to repair bill in Oregon later Thursday, a massive step forward for the right to repair movement.
“Google believes that users should have more control over repair—including access to the same documentation, parts and tools that original equipment manufacturer (OEM) repair channels have—which is often referred to as ‘Right to Repair,’” Google’s Steven Nickel wrote in a white paper published Thursday.
Crucially, Google specifically says that regulators should ban “parts pairing,” which is a tactic used by Apple, John Deere, and other major manufacturers to artificially restrict which repair parts can be used with a given device: “Policies should constrain OEMs from imposing unfair anti-repair practices. For example, parts-pairing, the practice of using software barriers to obstruct consumers and independent repair shops from replacing components, or other restrictive impediments to repair should be discouraged,” the white paper says.
Nickel is set to testify at a hearing in Oregon on the state’s right to repair bill later Thursday. The endorsement of right to repair across the board from one of the largest companies in the world is huge for the grassroots movement to make it easier for consumers to fix the devices they own. The move follows Apple’s endorsement of right to repair in California last year. The difference is that Apple does not want to restrict parts pairing, which functionally allows the company to maintain a huge amount of control over which types of repairs can be done to iPhones and other Apple devices. Both companies, through huge lobbying groups like the Consumer Technology Association, had previously lobbied against right to repair.
“We applaud the efforts of Oregon state senator Janeen Sollman in advancing a common sense repair bill,” Nickel wrote. “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. This would be a win for consumers who are looking for affordable repair options, for the environment, and for companies that want to invest in making their products more repairable and sustainable.”
The momentum for right to repair has continued in 2024, with dozens of states considering laws after New York, Minnesota, and California passed electronics right to repair legislation last year.
“It is harder than it should be to fix the devices we use every day,” Nathan Proctor, director of consumer rights group USPIRG’s right to repair campaign told 404 Media. “As a result, we are making, using and tossing way too much stuff. Google’s support for a strong Right to Repair bill in Oregon, which includes critical parts-pairing reforms, gives me hope that we can tackle our tech trash treadmill and keep devices working longer.”
Last fall, I went to an electronics repair conference where a Google representative spoke and noted that the company had begun to change its mind on right to repair, foreshadowing Thursday’s policy shift. Google has made changes in recent months to support Chromebooks and Android phones with security updates for much longer periods of time, and has also partnered with iFixit to make repair parts more readily available to consumers and independent shops.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What does that even mean?
