Calls for 'right to repair' electronics laws grow louder across Europe
- Reference: 1606395846
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/11/26/parliaments_environmental_audit_committee_calls/
- Source link:
European Parliament votes to support Right to Repair
The European Parliament has adopted a [1]resolution aimed at making it clearer which devices stand a chance of being repaired.
It is all in the name of sustainability and, as the Eurocrats put it, "putting an end to premature product obsolescence." The hope is that consumers, who are already not averse to the idea of repairing rather than replacing, according to the European Parliament, will be more confident in second-hand products if there are guarantees to cover product repairs.
The narrative, the resolution stated, must change from "cradle to grave" to "cradle to cradle". The resolution also "calls on the Commission to guarantee the right for people in the EU to have their goods repaired at an affordable price by means of a set of specific measures, such as the obligation to provide information at the time of purchase on the availability and price of spare parts and time taken to repair them."
Unsurprisingly, long-time right-to-repair campaigners [2]iFixit were cock-a-hoop at the news . It is famed for its repairability scores and sticking something similar on products may give customers pause for thought before picking up the latest and greatest from manufacturers.
It may even, whisper it, see some manufacturers attempt to make their wares more attractive to purchasers by ticking the repairability box rather than running on an increasingly eye-watering replacement cycle.
Some EU countries are ahead of the curve; [3]France is planning a repairability index giving a simple score out of 10 for the likes of smartphones, TVs and laptops. The score will be calculated based on how easy it is to take devices apart and availability of spares and repair information.
More than 700 MEPs voted on the report led by French Green MEP David Cormand and while it was touch and go for some portions ("The vote on obsolescence was very close," [4]reported the campaigning site Repair.eu, "won by a margin of two votes of 701") the way has been cleared for the European Commission to adopt laws aimed at extending the lifetime of devices.
The EAC report said tech manufacturers were failing in their duties to limit the amount of e-waste generated in the UK each year.
The paper, called Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy, cites UN statistics stating the UK produces the second-highest amount of e-waste per capita globally, after Norway. At 23.9kg per person, this vastly exceeds the world average of 7.3kg per capita, as well as European averages, at 16.2kg.
Not all the blame is pointed at retailers and vendors. Consumer habits play a huge role. Faulty or obsolete electronics aren't always properly recycled. They languish in the loft, or are sent to the landfill with other household waste. Households were responsible for sending 155,000 tonnes of e-waste to landfill and incinerators in 2017, with an additional 190,000 tonnes hoarded at home. Businesses produced a further 145,000 tonnes.
Right to repair? At least you still have the right to despair: Camera modules cannot be swapped on the iPhone 12 [5]READ MORE
And that's before we even mention the indeterminate amount of obsolete tech (estimated between 32,000 tonnes and 209,000 tonnes) illegally exported to the third world, where precious metals are extracted in the most harmful and exploitative conditions, sometimes by children.
We all share a degree of culpability, but the activities of some vendors definitely don't help. The paper references design practices where previously easy-to-remove components, such as hard drives and memory, are now soldered to circuit boards, or affixed to the chassis with intractable dollops of glue.
Apple, of course, is [6]among the worst offenders . But these practices aren't merely limited to IT. They've crept into the world of white goods. Some washing machines, for example, have their drums fixed in place. When they fail, the only option is to buy a new one.
Independent shops rejoice
The committee's recommendations pertaining to the right to repair are surprisingly reflective of the difficulties faced by independent repair shops, which are facing an existential threat due to the deliberate design decisions made by large technology manufacturers. The report said any law should not only address the lack of publicly accessible repair documentation, which are typically reserved for in-house and authorised technicians, but also ensure that independent repair shops have access to essential components.
It's the last point that will prove most useful for independent repair shops. While access to documentation can expedite a repair, skilful technicians can reverse-engineer a circuit board by looking at it closely, identifying what components are used, and working out how they relate. But if they are unable to access replacement components, things become massively more complicated. In the absence of new working chips straight from the factory, repair shops are often forced to salvage working components from donor computers.
The committee also recommended independent repair shops be able to operate without the need to acquire proprietary physical or software tools, which are all too often gatekeeping measures designed to control the market artificially. The [7]recent release of the iPhone 12 exemplified this harmful behaviour after it transpired repair shops would need access to a proprietary cloud tool to replace the phone's camera module – a fix that is otherwise trivial to perform.
These proprietary measures don't just limit who can fix a product, but also how they work. Right-to-repair activist Louis Rossmann [8]described this problem while testifying in a civil trial in Norway, noting independent repair shops can perform circuit-level repairs on Apple logic boards, while authorised technicians would likely be forced to replace the logic board entirely.
This is fundamentally wasteful. If the problem is just a broken capacitor, you don't need to throw away the entire board – just replace the capacitor. And, because switching out the logic board entails brand-new RAM, graphics, processor, and storage, this often means consumers are paying vastly more for what would otherwise be a straightforward repair.
A change in consumption patterns
Although the committee hopes to make the day-to-day operations of independent repair shops that little bit easier, they also want to make repairing more economically enticing for consumers than wholesale replacement. The report does not say precisely how much it would wish to see VAT reduced by, although it points to other European countries where the tactic has been used to great effect. For example, in Sweden, consumers can write off 50 per cent of the labour costs for repair, making out-of-warranty fixes more attractive.
Although identifying product design as a major contributor to e-waste, the committee did not recommend legally binding rules that would force vendors to design with repairability in mind. Compared to the US, China, and mainland Europe, the UK is a small market, and any attempt to force manufacturers to adopt user-serviceable components may limit consumer choice.
Instead, the committee has gone for a gentler guiding hand, recommending products be labelled with a repairability score. This inevitably overlaps with the iFixit scores, which are the by-product of independent testing and teardowns. But in many respects, this guidance goes a step further, with the score incorporating the availability and cost of spare parts, as well as access to documentation. These scores will help inform consumer choice, although the report recommends manufacturers of easily repairable products be rewarded with reduced fees for the extended producer responsibility scheme contributions.
Across the pond, the right-to-repair movement has met a ferocious pushback from the industry, which argues any legislation would threaten intellectual property rights, and pose risks to consumer safety. The best example comes from Massachusetts, where the technology industry unsuccessfully countered an initiative with a [9]series of slick scare ads designed to sow fear and uncertainty.
Perhaps anticipating this, the committee has recommended a collaborative approach that would see activists and industry collaborate to create professional standards. Separately, TechUK has called for any repair bill to protect intellectual property rights in the after-sales repair market while recognising authorised repair networks' trusted status. ®
Get our [10]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2020-0209_EN.html
[2] https://www.ifixit.com/News/47111/european-parliament-votes-for-right-to-repair
[3] https://repair.eu/news/french-repairability-index-what-to-expect-in-january/
[4] https://app.slack.com/client/T0369U828/GE73XS2H3
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/30/apple_iphone_12_camera_modules_cannot_be_swapped/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2013/10/25/macbook_pro_2013_teardowns/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/30/apple_iphone_12_camera_modules_cannot_be_swapped/
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyo4XbmK1_Q
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/04/right_to_repair/
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Just because...
Not just computers, it's the same with cars. Some modern manufacturers have chips embedded in the sodding headlight bulbs, so you need to take it in to the dealer to have the repair done (at a significant boost to the cost) rather than buying a bloody bulb and fitting it yourself. Then they say "it's for customer safety" when challenged on the behaviour.
I drive a 1997 Toyota Starlet*, and one of the major reasons I keep it is if it goes wrong I can bloody fix it! Most of the time. The current blown head gasket and potentially warped cylinder head / engine block might be a bit beyond my skill level. Still, I don't need a manufacturer's say-so to take it to another company to mill them flat again.
* if that doesn't identify me to those who know me, I don't know what will
How do they know?
How do they know how much potentially useful kit I've got carefully archived in my attic?!
Re: How do they know?
"How do they know how much potentially useful kit I've got carefully archived in my attic?!"
The fact that you visit these pages is enough to suggest you do. :)
(Note to self: must make sure my next house has an attic.)
How we even lost the right to repair our own stuff in the first place should be the bigger issue.
We are supposed to live in a free market, clearly we don't if we cant choose who maintains the stuff we already own.
@Oddball - have you considered the universal remote controls - they often have all the devices listed and either have the codes or you can download them to the devices.
@Dwarf
"How we even lost the right to repair our own stuff in the first place should be the bigger issue."
Choice. People choose to buy this stuff that cannot be repaired. Arguably it is due to some of this kit being cheaper but in the case of Apple it is more expensive and still people choose to buy it. For white goods people can spend a bit more for one that can be repaired but would prefer to pay less.
"We are supposed to live in a free market, clearly we don't if we cant choose who maintains the stuff we already own."
That is where we do live in a free market. We have expressed preferences (want to choose who fixes my stuff) and revealed preferences which is what people actually do. It is free market which has brought this through consumer choice.
Re: @Dwarf
So we choose to buy this stuff because it's cheaper ... or more expensive ... ?
I had a fan heater. The switch went and I was quite capable of fixing ... the deeply buried security screw to open the case would have defeated all but the most pig-headed of repairers. I didn't 'choose' to have the case secured.
A washing machine main bearing is a common fail. Most people would have no idea until they call out the repair man whether such a repair is economic. Nearly all are technically replaceable but well over 60% of manufacturers use drums from one supplier with embedded bearings - replace the single bearing as a £20 part but if it's embedded in the drum it's a £150 full drum replacement ... add an hours labour and it's suddenly uneconomic ...
This is not the choice a purchaser makes but a minimise production costs / maximise profit by the manufacturer.
Re: @Dwarf
So we choose to buy this stuff because it's cheaper ... or more expensive ... ?
Yep, both. Some people want the latest Apple shinyshiny, so that they can show off to their friends how rich and hip they are, and if it breaks they can afford to replace it. Others buy the cheapest stuff on the basis that it'll be obsolete in 2 years anyway and so they might as well treat it as "disposable" from the start. I can sort-of understand person #1, even if I don't do that, but not #2.
Then again, I'm happy to replace oven fans, dishwasher pumps or switches, and most things in a TV. Quite apart from the cost & environmental issues, it's more fun. I do find it steadily harder to get hold of service manuals though, so legislation like this is to be applauded.
Re: @Dwarf
@Andy The Hat
"So we choose to buy this stuff because it's cheaper ... or more expensive ... ?"
Yup. Its the choice of the consumers.
"I didn't 'choose' to have the case secured."
Ok. So you bought something you were happy with until something broke and the idea of fixing it wasnt on the top of your priorities until it broke. When you buy the next one will you look at how repairable it is? For a few people the answer might be yes. For most its bin and replace.
"Most people would have no idea until they call out the repair man whether such a repair is economic"
As is usually the case for most things. But this isnt about repairs being economic as a cheap product (made cheap) is often easier to just replace. Aka the throwaway culture. I am not judging rights and wrongs but it is what people choose.
"This is not the choice a purchaser makes but a minimise production costs / maximise profit by the manufacturer."
Yes. Exactly what we want. Instead of something being an exclusive item of the rich we want things to become cheaper so more people can afford them, and we want profits in business for our employment, pensions, investments and societal gains (it pays the tax for public services). If they dont do this then someone else does and (as I point out) the customers choose what they prefer. Often cheaper prices.
Apple is a wonderful oddity that no matter how much of a problem they cause and how locked in things are they are obviously desirable to people at higher prices. Again people getting what they want.
Re: @Dwarf
"That is where we do live in a free market. We have expressed preferences (want to choose who fixes my stuff) and revealed preferences which is what people actually do. It is free market which has brought this through consumer choice."
Please stop with your A-level economics. You have to take into account asymmetric information, where I do not know that the piece of equipment is difficult to repair, and cartel/oligopoly behaviour, where there are only a few manufacturers of a product , each of whom does the behaviour. You think HP could get away with their ink shenanigans if there were genuine, well-informed, choices available to consumers?
Re: @Dwarf
@DavCrav
"You have to take into account asymmetric information"
So you dont research what you are going to buy?
"where I do not know that the piece of equipment is difficult to repair"
That kind of equipment or specific product? Did you look or was it not so important to you at the time of purchase?
"cartel/oligopoly behaviour"
Which gets punished. But not what we are talking about unless you think so many businesses are running such?
"You think HP could get away with their ink shenanigans if there were genuine, well-informed, choices available to consumers?"
Yes. Availability does not mean will to look. People have their own preferences, sometimes convenience is worth more than repair-ability (at least at the time of purchase).
"Please stop with your A-level economics"
Didnt take it but thanks. Should we abandon any economic thought in this discussion or just if our opinion doesnt match yours?
Go away boy, you bother me.
"Compared to the US, China, and mainland Europe, the UK is a small market..."
Aye, there's the rub. By needlessly leaving the EU we have put ourselves in a very weak position vis-a-vis the likes of Apple, Google or Microsoft. "Take back control" may have been a useful tool in persuading people to vote Leave but when the country is told that we are no longer important or big enough for these companies and others to care about, it may start to ring a bit hollow.
Johnson and his cronies may currently be kings of all they survey but if no-one can be bothered to take us seriously due to our self-imposed isolation and weakness, then what they survey may not amount to much.
"Calls for 'right to repair' electronics laws grow louder across Europe"
Good, and not before time too. Although Apple is a prime offender in this respect, they are increasingly not the only one and important components that are soldered or glued in place make it more difficult to repair a computer and so there's ultimately more unnecessary e-waste to deal with.
Unfortunately as Apple leads so the others shall follow. Many, many people said they would never buy iPhones because they wanted swappable or multiple batteries. Although battery tech has improved massively since those days the vast majority of phones now have embedded batteries. Ditto with removable storage, and to a lesser extent headphone jacks.
It's true of laptops as well, I myself used to look for laptops with easy to upgrade RAM or hard drives but RAM is now often soldered to the board, HDs are glued in etc.
It's almost like replacing the clutch on a car. £50-100 or so part cost (maybe more for some cars), massive labour cost because it's at least gearbox off, maybe engine out in some cases.
It's an old practice that'll be hard to displace
I have electronic systems from the late '80s onward that include ICs with the markings scuffed off. Often, when I could categorise a chip on an analyser, it's turned out to be as commonplace as standard TTL.
Quite part from intentional obfuscation, it's a whole lot cheaper to build kit to non-repairable design as a lot of quite costly provisions don't have to be made (a blob of glue is much cheaper and simpler to implement than a drilled and tapped hole and a screw). So desire for churn is probably only one of the considerations. Another is "value engineering" - simplifying design to minimise production cost, but it can be taken too far.
The white goods (and indeed vehicles) problem is relatively new but very real. I run a 25 year old car and have a friendly mechanic who can fix (and has fixed) almost anything on it without recourse to a "diagnostic station", and my washing machine, inherited second hand a decade ago, is still going strong and so easy to repair that I fitted a new valve set and pump in a couple of hours flat. But we now have not only non-repairable tumble driers, but ones that [1]catch fire spontaneously from new.
So a "right to repair", although an excellent idea, will only address part of the problem. Ultimately we need products that are designed and built to last with minimal need to repair.
[1] https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/electrical-items/how-to-check-if-your-tumble-dryer/
Re: It's an old practice that'll be hard to displace
Hear Hear! I'm still using my TLK1100 vacuum cleaner that I bought in 1993. It works perfectly, and that now works out at less than a fiver a year it's cost me.
Could Backfire
When I was a student I worked part-time in a shop doing electrical repairs (TVs, radios, hi-fi and some white goods). Most were fairly easy to repair and our small team were quite experienced with the various makes and models on the market. To take the TVs as an example, the Ferguson models had chassis that came out on rails to give easy access to all the boards; ITT models had a chassis that hinged down, again giving easy access. Sony, on the other hand, were a right pig to repair. One reason for the latter was how they were designed, the other was because we got very little practice. Very few ever needed our attention, and those that did, it was usually due to external factors (power surges weren't uncommon in some local areas, or water dripping from plants placed on top). The Ferguson and ITT models needed to be easy to fix because the often broke down. I'd hate to repair a modern TV - but the ones I've had for the past 30 years or so have never needed attention - replacement has always been to get something better (and the old gone on to other folk for whom that one was an upgrade). Someone has commented that cars are harder to repair nowadays. I don't disagree - but I haven't needed to have mine repaired beyond an annual service for a long while. 30 years ago I did all my own car maintenance - and I would regularly need to do it. None of the iPhones I've had for the past 10 years have ever needed repair (a 4S and 5S still in use have had new batteries - supplied and fitted for under £20 each).
Modern kit is harder to repair - but is so rarely needs it. Easier repairs would be nice butI wouldn't want to go back to kit that was easy to repair if that means it will need it more often. It's the modern assemblies that enhance reliability. The current market isn't perfect and it needs to be possible for independent repairs, but let's not ensure we make repair shops the new mass market.
OK - now step back for the flames!
We're looking at you John Deere...
...you farmer bashing turds
Just because...
A computer is up in the loft does not make it waste.
Whole corners of the internet are dedicated to running old kit and resurrecting broken machines. Especially 90s home computers (I've used such resources to get a g3 iMac running again. It's never going to be my daily machine but it's not scrap).
But yes, modern stuff is becoming increasingly harder to fix (it's been putting me off buying a modern hifi amp again after getting my last one limping along but still largely useless as the remote is knackered and very rare).