The Right to Repair movement has been a point of conflict in the tech world for years, with some people believing consumers should have the right to repair their own electronic devices and others who believe it is too dangerous. Several tech giants have lobbied against the movement, but recently, several big names in the tech industry have announced support for California’s right-to-repair bill.
Apple has notoriously been against the right to repair for years and publicly lobbied against repair legislation. However, the company announced support for the California repair bill that requires manufacturers to make tools and parts available to repair facilities and owners of certain products on fair and reasonable terms.
Apple claimed SB 244 struck the right balance between consumer choice and reliable repairs while also protecting privacy, data security, and the intellectual property of OEMs, and another tech giant has joined in their support.
In a LinkedIn post, HP’s chief public policy officer announced that the company was “proud to support repairability through SB 244. As a recognized leader in circular economy practices that enable repair, we look forward to this becoming law.”
SB 244 was passed by the California Assembly Sept. 12, who then sent it back to the Senate for a concurrence vote before it goes to the governor’s desk.
Though many believe consumers should be allowed to repair their own devices, there is danger in certain steps like battery removal. Most electronics today are manufactured with Lithium-Ion batteries, known to cause chemical fires when damaged. For this reason, many in the e-waste industry advise against self-repair but encourage the allowance of third-party repair shops to repair devices at a more affordable price.
In many cases, it is best to leave repairs to professionals and IT asset management facilities like HOBI to prevent accidental fires.
HOBI is an R2v3, RIOS, WBE, and ISO-14001 certified IT asset management and disposition enterprise with more than 30 years of industry experience. We offer ITAD services such as data security, reverse logistics, and mobility-managed services like device repair, refurbishment, and remarketing.
For more information about our ITAD services, call 817-814-2620 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.