It’s been a good year for right to repair advocates. Colorado passed an important law to allow wheelchair users access to resources they need to fix their own chairs. The Federal Trade Commission has stepped up enforcement of companies that limit the right to repair. And New York made history by passing the first broad consumer right to repair legislation at the end of 2022, requiring some digital electronics manufacturers to provide access to parts, tools, and information necessary for repairing their products.
Thank you to everyone who wrote in to support these bills, and especially to our allies in the Repair Coalition who lead this fight. Despite these wins, however, it’s important that those who care about the right to repair keep pushing to build on these steps. Because while there are many victories to celebrate, there is still a long way to go. And the hard-won fights for the steps forward we took have exposed just how much opposition there is to the basic idea that you should be able to tinker with your own stuff.
Take the New York law, for example. While it is indisputably a milestone, the law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul took a huge step back from the version of the bill that had passed both houses of New York’s state legislature. It was significantly weakened at the last hurdle. Why? The Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) reported that TechNet, which represents tech industry groups, launched a targeted lobbying assault on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, asking for her to veto the bill, to modify the bill, and exempt specific types of companies from being covered under it.
They succeeded in a few major ways. The bill passed by the legislature would have covered all digital electronics, such as phones, tablets, and IT equipment. The law, as modified by the governor, will only cover products made after July 1, 2023. It also walked back lang
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