New Biden executive order encourages right to repair on a US federal level

Tensimeter · July 9, 2021

Summary

The White House has introduced an executive order which encourages the FTC to support right to repair, among many other pro consumer things.

Quotes

(Emphasis not mine).

Quote

Today President Biden is taking decisive action to reduce the trend of corporate consolidation, increase competition, and deliver concrete benefits to America’s consumers, workers, farmers, and small businesses. Today’s historic Executive Order established a whole-of-government effort to promote competition in the American economy. The Order includes 72 initiatives by more than a dozen federal agencies to promptly tackle some of the most pressing competition problems across our economy. Once implemented, these initiatives will result in concrete improvements to people’s lives.

Among other things, they will:

{…}

Make it easier and cheaper to repair items you own by limiting manufacturers from barring self-repairs or third-party repairs of their products.

Quote

Corporate consolidation even affects farmers’ ability to repair their own equipment or to use independent repair shops. Powerful equipment manufacturers—such as tractor manufacturers—use proprietary repair tools, software, and diagnostics to prevent third-parties from performing repairs. For example, when certain tractors detect a failure, they cease to operate until a dealer unlocks them. That forcers farmers to pay dealer rates for repairs that they could have made themselves, or that an independent repair shop could have done more cheaply.

Quote

In the Order, the President:

{…}

Encourages the FTC to limit powerful equipment manufacturers from restricting people’s ability to use independent repair shops or do DIY repairs—such as when tractor companies block farmers from repairing their own tractors.

My thoughts

This is fantastic news, hopefully the FTC indeed goes ahead with limiting manufacturer’s power. Also see the FTC’s report about right to repair from May.

Sources

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/09/fact-sheet-executive-order-on-promoting-competition-in-the-american-economy/
https://9to5mac.com/2021/07/09/president-biden-executive-order-competition/