FTC votes to fight restraint restrictions

The United States Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to combat illegal repair restrictions. In a policy statement released Wednesday, the agency said it plans to devote additional resources to enforcing existing laws, such as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which protect small businesses and consumers from companies that would prevent them from repairing their own products that they purchased. In doing so, the FTC will take a five-part approach to the problem that will involve it collecting comments and complaints from the public, as well as working more closely with law enforcement and state decision-makers to bring to light. update existing regulations.

“These types of restrictions can dramatically increase costs for consumers, stifle innovation, shut down business opportunities for independent repair shops, create unnecessary e-waste, delay timely repairs and undermine resilience,” he recently confirmed. FTC President Lina Khan. “The FTC has a range of tools it can use to eliminate illegal repair restrictions, and today’s policy statement would commit us to move forward on this issue with new vigor.”

The policy statement follows a July 9 executive order in which President Biden ordered the FTC to address “unfair anti-competitive restrictions on the repair or self-repair of items by third parties” imposed by “Powerful manufacturers” in the agricultural and technological industries. With Wednesday’s announcement, the FTC did not name any specific companies it will target for enforcement action. However, a company like Apple is likely to be a priority for the agency. The tech giant has consistently lobbied the state’s right to repair legislation, saying these laws would put consumers at risk.

Defenders of the right to repair were quick to welcome the announcement. “The FTC sets the tone for the nation’s commerce. For too long, manufacturers have bullied consumers and pushed local repair shops into bankruptcy,” iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens said in a blog post. by the company following the announcement of the policy. “This historic new policy changes that. There is a new sheriff in town.”