President Joe Biden has offered more support to the right to improve the rules, following the executive command he signed last summer. He acknowledged that many companies have made it difficult for consumers to improve their own devices. Biden also nodded to Apple and Microsoft to change their rights to improve the policy in front of the Federal Trade Commission taking more actions about this problem.
Among the dozens of other problems, executive orders borne, it encourages “FTC to issue rules for anti-competitive limitations on using independent workshops or repair DIY devices and your own equipment.” The agency said the end of the month would handle the rights that violated the law to improve restrictions by enforcing existing laws and doing more to help consumers and small repair stores improve products.
“Denies the right to improve price increases for consumers, means that an independent repair shop cannot compete for your business,” said Biden. “Too many areas, if you have a product, from a smartphone to the tractor, you don’t have the freedom to choose how or where to repair the items you buy.”
The President notes that, in many cases, consumers need to go to dealers or manufacturers and pay their request prices for improvement. He added that he was happy to hear FTC in a round voice chose to “improve law enforcement of illegal repair restrictions.”
Towards the end of last year, both Apple and Microsoft announced a program that would help consumers repair the iPhone, iPad, and their own surface. “What happens is that many of these companies say, ‘You’re right. We will voluntarily do it. You don’t need to order us to do it,'” Biden said. “For example, Apple and Microsoft change their policies so that people will be able to repair their own phones and laptops – even though I’m not sure I know how to do that.”
The President added that movements such as those made by Apple and Microsoft, as well as possible regulations at the state and federal levels, will “make it easier for millions of Americans to improve their electronics instead of paying arms and legs to repair or just throw away the device.”
