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Apple Is Lobbying Against Right to Repair Six Months After Supporting Right to Repair

Key Points:

  • Apple opposed a right-to-repair bill in Oregon, despite previously supporting a weaker one in California.
  • The key difference is Oregon's restriction on "parts pairing," which locks repairs to Apple or authorized shops.
  • Apple argues this protects security and privacy, but critics say it creates a repair monopoly and e-waste.
  • Apple claims their system eases repair and maintain data security, while Google doesn't have such a requirement
  • Apple refused suggestions to revise the bill
  • Cybersecurity experts argue parts pairing is unnecessary for security and hinders sustainable repair.
whoelectroplateuntil ,

Right to repair also has an environmental angle. Consider which one uses more resources and likely produces more pollution:

  • The RAM in your laptop dies, you take it to a repair shop, they swap out the dead RAM. Dead RAM goes in the bin, laptop has years of life left in it
  • The RAM in your Macbook dies, the RAM is soldered to the board, you throw the whole thing away and buy a new one, and when a single component in the new Macbook dies, lather, rinse, repeat

Considering how much extra e-waste is generated when people can't repair things, there's really no way to buy Apple and call yourself an environmentalist.

bruhduh ,
@bruhduh@lemmy.world avatar

Mother earth advertising beg to differ /s

BreakDecks ,

Oh, you're a sustainable Apple user? Show me your reflow oven.

theherk ,

I really hope neither Apple nor any other repair shop simply casts electronic components in the bin. My expectation in both cases is that the components are recycled, at least for precious metals.

VinS ,

I don't have this optimism 😅

the_q ,

It's crazy that Apple is lauded as having amazing designers and engineers, but they can't make easily repairable devices. It's almost like that's the point...

test113 ,

They have, but they are not in charge. Apple's goal is to make money; everything else comes as an afterthought.

highfiveconnoisseur ,

Can't vs won't. I have no doubt that they could do it, but apple didn't get to be one of the most powerful companies in the world by doing the thing that is cheaper for the user.

NotMyOldRedditName ,

Oddly, these hard to repair things in apples case are actually cheaper because of it, and probably in many cases makes them more durable due to less failure points.

The problems only come up if/when something does fail.

Having to replace a whole board instead of just the ram isn't cheaper, but that board per unit is cheaper.

maniclucky ,

Ooooh. I have a story for this.

I was a student at Purdue and one of the freshmen "engineering hype" lectures had people from industry come say why they're so cool, etc. Now, this was specifically an electrical and computer engineering course, not the whole engineering school. These are the people who tore apart their various electronics for fun and made cool stuff using parts from RadioShack (RIP).

Apple came to one. First red flag: she started with "don't tell anyone we were here". Weird, but whatever. She proceeded with her spiel and, after however long, got to the Q&A bit. Someone raised their hand and asked this: "why does Apple solder RAM into their devices". This woman said, and I quote, "It is the position of Apple that the consumer has no right to change the product after it has been sold". With a straight fucking face. Jaws dropped. There was a solid 10 seconds of silence while all these nerds (I include myself here) processed such a blatant anti-consumer (and anti-us if we're being honest) statement. This was in 2010 (+/- 1 year).

She finished up and left a few minutes later. No doubt some of my classmates went on to work for them, but it set my passionate hatred for Apple in stone right there. Don't care how nice their devices are, even if my husband uses his apple devices all the time (the walled garden works well for his needs), I will never purchase an Apple product for myself.

LifeInOregon ,

Apple didn’t solder RAM to their devices in 2010 +/- 1 year

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+RAM+Replacement/10374

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Late+2011+RAM+Replacement/7651

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+mini+Late+2012+RAM+Replacement/11726

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2546+RAM+Replacement/15623

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+Pro+2009+2010+2011+2012+RAM+Replacement/147697

The exception was the MacBook Air.

Allero ,

Thanks for the fact check!

maniclucky ,

Guy must have been talking about that then. This was one of my rare clear memories. I had no idea about it at the time till that guy asked.

LazaroFilm ,
@LazaroFilm@lemmy.world avatar

Make parts pairing a free procedure by law with minimum required process and anyone can request it. Now Apple gets to keep their “security” bs argument and repairs can be done by anyone and paired by Apple for free.

Fedizen ,

Will this fix the HP printer problem?

RememberTheApollo_ ,

They hoped you'd forget about all that .

TheAlbacor ,

Of course they want you to use their shops. That way they can charge whatever price they want.

It's the same reason McDonald's ice cream machines are always down.

BearOfaTime ,

Meh, the ice cream machine is a different thing. I haven't figured out fully how it benefits McD's, I suspect there's little profit margin on ice cream, but having the machine at all still brings (hopeful) people in who buy something else. A bait-and-switch.

McD's uses the same machine as many other places, but they have the temp variance much tighter, so much tighter that after the daily cleaning cycle, it takes hours to get back to temp.

Then (and this is probably what you're referring to), if the machine has a code, the franchise is required by contract to use the repair service that comes with the machine lease.

There's an indedependent dev who wrote a code reader/reset tool for the machines, and McD's isn't happy about it.

I'm not clear how doing the maintenence this way benefits McD's, unless they own the servicing company, and it doesn't appear that they do.

In the end, it means McD's will often not actually have ice cream available. But these are franchises, so it would hurt the franchise most directly. Seems there'd be a potential legal issue here, if it could be proven.

helenslunch ,

Meh, the ice cream machine is a different thing.

It's not.

I haven't figured out fully how it benefits McD's

They get kickbacks from Taylor.

McD's uses the same machine as many other places, but they have the temp variance much tighter, so much tighter that after the daily cleaning cycle, it takes hours to get back to temp.

Wrong

There's an indedependent dev who wrote a code reader/reset tool for the machines, and McD's isn't happy about it.

Yeah McD's just told them they're not allowed to use it.

helenslunch ,

It's moreso so that they can ensure you can't repair it at all. They'll tell you you need to spend way more money than you need to, then conveniently point you to the upgraded model on the show floor.

I'm just absolutely floored that people still spend so much money on this garbage.

TheAlbacor ,

That doesn't make sense when they backed the one in California but only didn't back this one because it would allow consumers to go outside of their repair system.

Cheems ,
@Cheems@lemmy.world avatar

Obviously people should be able to repair their own devices.

Pumps millions into actively preventing that exact thing

SitD ,

Pumps more millions into a cringe advertising campaign with some mother earth bullshit or so. Yeah sure we love her but let's force more ewaste down her throat. 😂

the_post_of_tom_joad ,

Yeah they supported weak protections that they could game. They are lobbying against legislation they can not.

thisbenzingring ,

Bingo

tabular ,
@tabular@lemmy.world avatar

No, Apple never supported right to repair.

Dangdoggo ,
@Dangdoggo@kbin.social avatar

They "supported" a bill that they immediately circumvented, yeah. They had no interest in protecting right to repair they just wanted the PR. It should surprise no one that they're opposed to actual bills that force them to alter their business practices.

helenslunch ,

they just wanted the PR

And it was a resounding success. Apple is an absolute master of gaslighting. Can't tell you how many people I came across that told me "oh Apple actually supports R2R now!"

BreakDecks ,

People still act like Apple is a privacy-oriented business even after they planned to scan everyone's iCloud files on behalf of the government to "protect the children".

tabular ,
@tabular@lemmy.world avatar

"safety, security, safety, security"

No, you mean "money, money for us".

themurphy ,

Fortunately, they are forced to do it in EU.

Infinity187 ,

Sounds like the GQP and the latest bill.

Sanctus ,
@Sanctus@lemmy.world avatar

Apple is a hardware company. They get the biggest bang from people buying their hardware. They aren't going to make this easy cause it quite literally means giving the shareholders less profit, which is illegal in the US.

snooggums ,
@snooggums@kbin.social avatar

They aren’t going to make this easy cause it quite literally means giving the shareholders less profit, which is illegal in the US.

Making less profit than previous periods of time or even operating at a loss is not illegal in the US. Many companies have periods where they lose money or sacrifice short term profits for long term growth.

Investors with enough control might boot the leadership out, but they can also do that for whatever reason including unrealistic expectations.

dustyData ,

Hell, some of the highest valued tech companies right now have never turned a profit in their entire existence.

pivot_root ,

Suckling the teat of VC firms and investors works really well until the money dries up. After that, enshittification. Lots and lots of enshittification.

shalafi ,

FFS sake, our CEO told the Board, for a couple of years, "We're gonna lose money to invest in $X, $Y and $Z." They applauded him. Out loud. Literal clapping.

(We accidently made profits for those years. Oops. But that's beside the point.)

the_post_of_tom_joad ,

shareholders less profit, which is illegal in the US.

This is a bit of a misnomer. It is illegal for a company to deliberately lower share value, not to make a business move that ends up lowering share value.

pivot_root ,

Specifically, it's the fiduciary duty of the directors to act in the best interests of the shareholders.

In other words, the consumer doesn't matter, the employees don't matter beyond what the law mandates, and the quality of the product or service doesn't matter until it starts impacting profits or stock values. The only time these actually need to be given any consideration is when it would serve to benefit shareholders, such as with hiring skilled talent or before the company has a reputation for quality products.

shalafi ,

giving the shareholders less profit, which is illegal in the US

Cite me chapter and verse. Point to the illegality that hurt you.

https://uscode.house.gov/

This idea is a childish notion of how corporations work. And it's a lie. I'm not saying there's nuance here, I'm saying it's a LIE.
But bullshit scores internet points!

https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/04/16/what-are-corporations-obligations-to-shareholders/corporations-dont-have-to-maximize-profits

Oha ,
@Oha@lemmy.ohaa.xyz avatar

https://lemmy.ohaa.xyz/pictrs/image/71301df5-67b4-4c97-814c-ab95efcc1673.webp

bruhduh ,
@bruhduh@lemmy.world avatar

cb2faa8cff31d8837632d367ac5bc3db-787845071

NuXCOM_90Percent ,

apple's "support" was basically malicious compliance.

The only way to get new parts involved sending in the damaged ones, which still screws over any third party business because they can't have spare parts on hand for fast repairs. And the pricing basically meant you were saving like ten bucks in exchange for potentially fucking up and destroying your hardware. As opposed to using the repair program at the apple store.

bappity ,
@bappity@lemmy.world avatar

no suprise here. it's apple. they made a $3500 device that has been bricking itself and charging people $100 to fix it because it's completely proprietary

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