The UK has introduced right-to-repair rules that legally require manufacturers to make spare parts available to people buying electrical appliances.

Right to repair movement gains power in US and Europe

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2021-07-07 15:00:05

The UK has introduced right-to-repair rules that legally require manufacturers to make spare parts available to people buying electrical appliances.

And later this week, US President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to draw up rules on the repair of farming equipment.

It would give farmers "the right to repair their own equipment how they like", the president's press secretary, Jen Psaki, said.

It has also been opposed by technology giants such as Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, which impose limits on who can repair phones and game consoles and say independent repair could affect the security and safety of devices.

Passed in 2013, the Massachusetts legislation requires vehicle manufacturers to provide diagnostic and repair information to owners and independent repair facilities for any car made in 2015 or later.

As a result, most carmakers agreed to apply this rule across the US, even without it being a requirement in the remaining 49 states.