Right to Repair Movement (2018-2026)

The **right-to-repair movement** advocates for consumer rights to repair their own devices — or have them repaired by third parties — without being blocked by manufacturer lock-in (proprietary parts, software-locked diagnostics, warranty-voiding clauses, serialized components that refuse to work after swap). ## Timeline of major actions ### 2012: Massachusetts automotive R2R Massachusetts passed the first US R2R law, focused on automotive repair — mandated manufacturers provide diagnostic information and tools to independent repair shops. Triggered the 2014 national 'Memorandum of Understanding' where major automakers voluntarily agreed to similar terms nationwide. ### 2018-2020: state-level electronics R2R Growing state-level legislation introductions, mostly on consumer electronics: - Nebraska, Missouri, New York, California, Illinois, Kansas, others. - Industry lobbying (Apple, Microsoft, John Deere, CTIA, Consumer Technology Association) defeated most. - Apple famously lobbied against Nebraska bills on grounds that they would 'make Nebraska a haven for hackers.' ### 2020: Massachusetts automotive data access (expanded) Massachusetts voters passed a ballot measure requiring automakers to provide vehicle telematics data to independent shops. Took effect 2022 after industry legal fights. ### 2021: Biden EO 14036 + FTC 'Nixing the Fix' - **Executive Order 14036** (Promoting Competition in American Economy, July 2021) directed federal agencies including the FTC to investigate repair restrictions. - **FTC's 'Nixing the Fix' report** (May 2021) documented the scope of repair restrictions and recommended legislative action. - Together these put federal agency weight behind R2R for the first time. ### 2022-2025: state-level breakthroughs - **New York** (December 2022): Digital Fair Repair Act — first US state electronics R2R law. Signed by Gov. Hochul but watered down (exempted appliances, enterprise equipment). - **Minnesota** (2023): broad R2R law covering electronics and appliances. Among the stronger state laws. - **Colorado** (2023): covered both agricultural equipment (primary target: John Deere) and powered wheelchairs — notable because wheelchair R2R had been a separate advocacy movement. - **California** (2023): substantial R2R law for electronics and appliances. - **Oregon, Washington, Maine, Massachusetts expansion**: various 2024-2025 laws. ### 2023: AFBF / John Deere MOU January 2023: John Deere $99M Right-to-Repair Settlement (April 2026) — tradeoff between voluntary repair access and AFBF commitment to oppose R2R legislation. Mixed impact on the agricultural R2R legislative push. ### 2024-2025: corporate concessions - **Apple**: launched 'Self Service Repair' program (late 2021, expanded since). Provides parts and manuals for iPhone, Mac, iPad. Criticized for high parts costs but real access. Under state-law pressure, expanded to cover more devices. - **Microsoft**: reached a commitment with shareholder activist As You Sow in 2021 to expand repair access. Surface, Xbox repair manuals published. - **Samsung**: Self-Repair program with iFixit partnership, parts/manuals for Galaxy phones. - **Google**: parts/manuals for Pixel phones via iFixit. - **Dell, HP, Lenovo**: laptop repair manuals (already had these, but more accessible now). ### 2026: ongoing - **John Deere settlement** April 2026 — see John Deere $99M Right-to-Repair Settlement (April 2026). - **FTC + Illinois + Minnesota antitrust case** against John Deere ongoing. - **Trump administration** policy direction on R2R unclear — 2026 White House has celebrated Deere as a 'partner in farmer freedom' despite the settlement. - **No comprehensive federal R2R law** has passed Congress. ## Persistent opponents - **John Deere, Case IH / CNH, AGCO**: agricultural equipment — proprietary diagnostic systems and part lockout. - **Apple** (partial retreat under pressure, still uses parts serialization). - **Tesla**: aggressive proprietary lock-in, parts denied to independent shops, history of voiding warranties over third-party repair. - **Medical device OEMs** (Siemens Healthineers, GE Healthcare, Philips): hospital MRIs, CT scanners, ventilators — often require manufacturer service contracts with significant markup. - **Many game consoles** (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo): serialized components, software-locked repair. ## Key advocacy organizations - **Repair.org**: main R2R coalition, runs state-level advocacy. - **USPIRG**: research and advocacy — produced the 'Out to Pasture' agricultural equipment report. - **iFixit**: repair-guide publisher, supplies parts, major consumer-facing advocacy. - **National Farmers Union**: agricultural R2R advocacy (distinct from AFBF). - **Electronic Frontier Foundation**: broader digital-rights context. - **Louis Rossmann**: independent repair shop, YouTube advocacy (nearly 2M subscribers on R2R topics). ## Patterns - R2R is **bipartisan** in practice — conservative farmers and progressive consumer advocates both support it. - Industry opposition is more effective at **federal** level (lobbying scale) than **state** level (can't be everywhere at once). - **Voluntary concessions** have been significant but usually under state-law pressure, not spontaneous. - **MOU and class-action playbook** (see John Deere) trades monetary damages + time-limited promises for legislative pressure relief. John Deere will likely be the template other companies try to replicate.