Google formally endorsed a right-to-repair bill being considered in Oregon, with the hopes that other states follow suit. “This legislation represents an inclusive compromise that brings tech companies, small repair companies, environmental leaders and legislators to the table to find common ground and support the repair movement,” the company wrote.
After years of opposition, the tech industry has done a 180-degree turn in supporting the Right to Repair movement. Momentum started to shift in 2021 after the Federal Trade Commission and the Biden administration pushed the tech industry to cut down the barriers styming users and third-party repair shops from repairing today’s electronics.
The momentum then gained steam as states—including New York, Minnesota, and California— passed their own right-to-repair bills, which require vendors to supply repair parts, tools and guides to product owners. (Oregon’s proposed law intends to follow the same principle.)