Updates

President Joe Biden signed an executive order today, asking the Federal Trade Commission to force tech companies to let consumers repair their own devices—or use the technician of their choice—instead of having to use authorized repair technicians. The President wants to require large manufacturers—including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, John Deere, General Electric, and Tesla—to make available to everyone their repair manuals, tools, and components and parts, as well as proprietary software code that allows components to function. (Biden specifically called out cell phone makers and tractor manufacturers in the White House’s fact-sheet.) This may even force manufacturers to rethink how products are made to ensure they’re more durable and more easily repairable.