New York's Right to Repair Law May Soon Bring Welcome Changes for All Consumers
Starting Dec. 28, N.Y. families could save $330 a year in repair costs. Those nationwide could benefit from increased access to parts, tools, and repair manuals.
On December 28, when the nation’s first right to repair law goes into effect, consumers in New York may find it much easier to get their phones, laptops, and other electronic devices fixed.
The landmark legislation, known as the Digital Fair Repair Act, requires manufacturers like Apple to make the parts, tools, and guides needed to successfully repair their devices readily available to everyone, including independent repair shops.
That’s a big shift from today’s landscape, where manufacturers frequently limit the distribution of those items to “authorized” repair shops, making it much harder for people to search for convenient and affordable service, much less perform the repairs themselves.
How Does New York's Right to Repair Law Work?
The New York law, signed a year ago by Governor Kathy Hochul, forces electronic device manufacturers that do business in the state (Apple, Dell, Samsung, and many others) to make their parts, tools, and documentation available for purchase by independent repair shops, as well as consumers.
The law covers laptops, smartphones, and tablets, but not home appliances such as toasters and microwaves or medical equipment.
Under the new guidelines, consumers are free to take their devices to a repair shop of their choosing, shopping for a better location, faster service, or a lower price if they wish. Estimates have shown that families can save up to $330 a year in repair-related costs, thanks to the new law.
What if You Don't Live in New York?
While New Yorkers will be the immediate beneficiaries of the new law, residents of other states are likely to benefit, too.
Kyle Wiens, the CEO of iFixit, a company that sells repair parts, tools, and documentation that promotes the right to repair, says he expects manufacturers to move toward selling repair parts nationwide. “Once they have to do it once, they figure they might as well just do it nationwide,” he explains.
When Massachusetts passed an automotive right-to-repair law in 2012, it effectively became the law of the country, with car manufacturers complying with its provisions. Similar to the Digital Fair Repair Act, those provisions required car manufacturers to provide parts and documentation to independent repair shops—which is why you can get your car fixed today at a local mechanic and not only at an authorized dealer.
It’s also likely that repair documentation, such as schematics and service manuals, will become widely available online once the New York law goes into effect. That knowledge propagation will be useful well beyond the borders of New York state.
“That’s huge!” says Wiens. “This information has been secret for way too long.”
What's Next?
While the protections afforded by the new law may feel like “mission accomplished,” right to repair advocates, including those from Consumer Reports, say there’s work to be done.
“A federal law would be nice, but the states are already doing it,” says Brookman, referencing the fact that California and Minnesota have also in recent months passed right to repair legislation (though those laws haven’t gone into effect yet). Brookman also notes that there is some fear that a national law, which would supersede state laws, could have less “teeth” than the laws now on the books.
Advocates also suggest that we should keep in mind the ultimate goal of right to repair: ensuring that our devices live long and happy lives and aren’t cast aside as e-waste before their time is up.
“Right to repair has so far been very focused on hardware, but we should make sure that software continues to be updated, too,” says CR’s Angel Han, a campaign manager for community engagement efforts. “We need to make sure our devices remain functional, so they’re sustainable for the long term.”
