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Apple is lobbying to kill bill that would make it easier for normal people to repair iPhones

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By Victor Hristov

Updated: May 22, 2017, 2:39 AM

Apple

A new "Fair Repair Act" bill could make phones and iPhones in particular much easier to repair for normal people, but interestingly, rather than being met with support from Apple, the bill has seen the company oppose it and now evidence has showed up that Apple is investing money to lobby against the bill. The evidence was uncovered by Motherboard and uses public records from New York State's Joint Commission on Public Ethics.

Proposed by the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, a group of small independent repair shops, the "Fair Repair Act" would require manufacturers to sell replacement parts and tools to the general consumer, it would prevent using "software locks" that limit repairs, and in some cases would require companies to provide repair guides to the public.

You would think that such an initiative would be welcomed by companies, but records in New York State's Joint Commission on Public Ethics show that Apple, Verizon, Toyota, Lexmark, Caterpillar, and others have invested in lobbying against the Fair Repair Act this year.

Apple is lobbying against the bill in other states as well, but it is New York State's more detailed disclosure rules that make the lobbying transparent to the public.

An agreement between Apple and lobbying firm Roffe Group states that the latter will "lobby Apple's corporate issues, including but not limited to areas of environment, tax, and retail." Apple pays Roffe Group $9,000 per month for its services, and you can find the documents right below.

So what is the reason that Apple opposes this bill? Apple has denied official comment, but its lobbyists have commented that if the legislation passes, the state could become a "Mecca for bad actors".

The Compensation section shows how much Apple pays to lobbying firm Roffe Group

source: Motherboard

reference: Fair Repair Act bill, New York State's Joint Commission on Public Ethics

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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.

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