Apple has a patchy history with the right to repair watch movements. In the past, the company opposed giving users the right to repair their devices themselves, but then changed its tune – offering self-repairs and supporting a California right-to-repair bill. Only now has Apple been caught lobbying against the exact same thing in Oregon.
Well, not quite the same, because these two bills are slightly different. SB 244 in California requires companies to provide tools, parts and documentation to customers and independent repair shops – so that defective devices can be repaired without intervention from the manufacturer. Oregon’s SB 1596 would go one step further and ban the pairing of parts – and that’s apparently where Apple draws the line.
By pairing parts, companies ensure that repairs to themselves and third parties are carried out using original parts. In Apple’s case, iPhone parts such as screens and batteries must be “paired” with the device using Apple’s System Configuration tool. If this does not happen, users will be notified that they have installed non-genuine parts, while other features may not work until the alleged problem is resolved.
Previously, users of the self-repair app had to contact Apple to initiate this pairing process. although that changed last year. Users can pair the parts themselves as long as they use original parts.
SB 1596 would prohibit the pairing of parts and ensure that manufacturers cannot “prevent or impede” repair shops or equipment owners from installing replacement parts, including parts not approved by the manufacturer. The bill goes on to say that this would also prohibit limited functionality and warnings and warnings about “unidentified” parts.
SB 1596 would prohibit the pairing of parts and ensure that manufacturers cannot “prevent or impede” repair shops or equipment owners from installing replacement parts, including parts not approved by the manufacturer.
But John Perry, Apple’s senior manager for the secure design team, testified that Apple uses the pairing of parts to “make repairs easier” and to ensure devices and data “remain secure.” Perry claimed that the anti-parts pairing clauses “will undermine the security and privacy of Oregonians by forcing device manufacturers to allow the use of parts of unknown origin and consumer devices.”
Perry added: “Consumers have the right to choose which parts they use for repairs, provided the device transparently reflects the repair history and use of the part does not pose a risk to consumer safety or privacy.”
That sounds to me like Henry Ford’s “You can be any color you want, as long as it’s black.” Apple wants you to be free to choose your parts, as long as they come from a list of Apple-approved components. Which isn’t really much of a choice when you think about it. Likewise, repairs aren’t really “easier” if you’re limited to the parts you can use and have to jump through a few hoops to activate them properly.
Apple has changed its approach to repair rights in recent years, which is definitely a good thing. The availability of parts, tools and repair manuals means repairing your devices is much easier than it used to be. Still, Apple clearly isn’t ready to completely give up control over self-repair just yet.
We hope that we will get legislation that changes this in the near future.
