Topics Covered: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
What is the ‘right to repair’ movement?
What is it?
It is the right of consumers to be able to repair their own electronics and other products.
The goal of the movement is to get companies to make spare parts, tools and information on how to repair devices available to customers and repair shops to increase the lifespan of products and to keep them from ending up in landfills.
- The movement traces its roots back to the very dawn of the computer era in the 1950s.
Why did this movement start? What was the motive behind this?
Electronic manufacturers are encouraging a culture of ‘planned obsolescence’ — which means that devices are designed specifically to last a limited amount of time and to be replaced.
- This leads to immense pressure on the environment and wasted natural resources.
- Also, consumers, more often than not, are left at the mercy of manufacturers who make repairs inaccessible for most, by dictating who can fix your device and making it an inordinately expensive affair.
Benefits of the Right to Repair:
Boost business for small repair shops, which are an important part of local economies.
‘Right to repair’ laws by various countries:
In recent years, countries around the world have been attempting to pass effective ‘right to repair’ laws.
- US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order calling on the Federal Trade Commission to curb restrictions imposed by manufacturers that limit consumers’ ability to repair their gadgets on their own terms.
- The UK introduced right-to-repair rules that should make it much easier to buy and repair daily-use gadgets such as TVs and washing machines.
Who is opposing?
The movement has faced tremendous resistance from tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft over the years.
- Their argument is that opening up their intellectual property to third party repair services or amateur repairers could lead to exploitation and impact the safety and security of their devices.
- They also argue that such initiatives threaten data security and cyber security.
Insta Curious:
Do you know about the Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative (MPPI)? (An initiative which proposes reuse, refurbishing, material recovery, recycling and disposal options and environmentally friendly actions.) Read here
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- About the campaign.
- E waste rules in India.
- International conventions over e waste management.
Sources: Indian Express.
