Tech Giants and Manufacturers Are Quietly Sabotaging Your Right to Repair
Despite mounting legislative pressure and consumer demand for repairable products, major manufacturers are finding creative ways to circumvent right-to-repair laws—and it's costing consumers billions.
The sleek iPhone in your pocket, the Tesla in your driveway, and the John Deere tractor in your field share more than cutting-edge technology—they're all designed to be nearly impossible for you to repair yourself. Despite a growing wave of right-to-repair legislation across the globe, manufacturers are deploying increasingly sophisticated tactics to maintain their stranglehold on the $4 trillion global repair industry.
The Promise vs. The Reality
Right-to-repair laws theoretically guarantee consumers and independent repair shops access to parts, tools, and documentation needed to fix their devices. Minnesota became the first U.S. state to pass comprehensive right-to-repair legislation in 2023, followed by New York, California, and Oregon. The European Union has implemented similar regulations for appliances and electronics.
Yet manufacturers have mastered the art of compliance without cooperation. They're following the letter of the law while systematically undermining its spirit through technical loopholes, prohibitive pricing, and deliberate design choices that make repairs practically impossible.
The New Playbook of Resistance
Part Pairing and Software Locks
Apple's approach exemplifies this strategy. While the company now provides genuine parts for iPhone repairs, it pairs components to specific devices using proprietary software. Replace a camera or battery without Apple's blessing, and you'll lose functionality—even if you use identical genuine parts from another iPhone.
Tesla takes this further by requiring vehicle owners to prove they completed repairs at authorized service centers before restoring full functionality. Independent mechanics report that Tesla's diagnostic software can detect unauthorized repairs and limit vehicle performance accordingly.
Prohibitive Pricing and Bundling
When manufacturers do provide parts, they often price them to discourage independent repair. A single sensor for a John Deere tractor can cost more than $1,000—nearly as much as having the company's technicians perform the entire repair. Samsung offers smartphone screens for independent repair shops, but bundles them with unnecessary components, inflating costs by 300-400%.
Technical Barriers and Documentation Games
Manufacturers frequently provide repair manuals that are technically compliant but practically useless. They release documentation in formats that require expensive proprietary software to access, or provide instructions so complex that repairs become economically unfeasible for small shops.
Medical device manufacturers have been particularly egregious offenders. Ventilator companies during the COVID-19 pandemic refused to provide repair information to hospitals, citing trade secrets, even as patients' lives hung in the balance.
The Economic Impact
This resistance isn't just frustrating—it's expensive. The average American household spends $1,200 annually on device replacements that could be avoided with accessible repairs. The environmental cost is equally staggering: the EU estimates that extending product lifespans by just one year would save 1.8 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.
Small businesses suffer disproportionately. Independent repair shops employ over 300,000 Americans, but many are closing as manufacturers' tactics make their services unviable. Rural communities face particular hardship, with farmers sometimes waiting weeks for authorized technicians to travel hundreds of miles for simple repairs.
Fighting Back: Innovation and Legislation
Some manufacturers are bucking the trend. Framework's modular laptops allow users to upgrade and repair components easily. Patagonia provides detailed repair guides and sells replacement parts at cost. These companies demonstrate that profitability and repairability can coexist.
Legislators are responding to manufacturers' workarounds with more specific requirements. California's SB 244 includes provisions preventing part pairing, while the EU's proposed circular economy regulations would mandate standardized repair interfaces.
The Path Forward
The right-to-repair movement represents more than consumer convenience—it's about technological sovereignty and sustainable consumption. As manufacturers become increasingly creative in their resistance, consumers must remain vigilant and support companies that embrace repairability.
The tide is turning, but slowly. Until manufacturers face meaningful consequences for their anti-repair tactics, consumers will continue paying the price through higher costs, environmental damage, and technological dependence. The question isn't whether we have the right to repair our devices—it's whether we'll enforce that right before it becomes meaningless.
The future of technology ownership hangs in the balance, and the manufacturers are betting we'll quietly accept their restrictions. It's time to prove them wrong.
