Latest news with #RightToRepair
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Military's Fight For The Right To Repair Is One It Can't Lose
A U.S. service member is repairing a vehicle in Iraq. Today, such work might require a vendor's ... More technician instead! getty The United States military has been quietly engaged in a fight that it can't afford to lose. It isn't facing off against a near-peer adversary or even a rogue state. Instead, this fight is about how it can maintain its equipment and hardware, rather than relying on contractors. The situation the Pentagon faces is one not all that dissimilar from the milkshake machines at McDonald's. Anyone looking to top off their burger meal at the Golden Arches with a frozen drink may have gone to discover they're out of luck, as the machines are broken. It isn't due to laziness on the part of the employees; however, until recently, they weren't allowed to repair the milkshake machine. The United States military faces a similar challenge due to the issue of "Right to Repair," a concept that is often not granted to the end user. The problem has impacted farmers, who find that their expensive tractors and other equipment can only be serviced by the manufacturer. Consumers have seen similar issues with electronics and automobiles. The root of the problem is about manufacturers retaining intellectual property rights, which for the Pentagon restricts service members from repairing crucial systems. In theory, this was actually meant to benefit the manufacturers, who have seen their profits erode. Another aspect is that today's high-tech systems can be much more challenging to repair, requiring specialized tools and even specialized training. "The reason why vendors don't want you to mess with their products falls into two categories, one is they don't want to deal with people returning products or asking for warranty coverage when the repair attempt did more damage than good," explained technology industry analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group. "The other is they want the service revenue associated with the repair," Enderle added. He acknowledged that this has been problematic because it can lead vendors to intentionally create flawed products to maximize service revenues. In other cases, it is about ensuring that hardware can't be easily reverse-engineered. "Apple, John Deere, and McLaren are all infamous for not wanting people to work on their products," said Enderle. For the military, its platforms are also highly classified, so there is no concern that a sailor could reverse-engineer the equipment while being trained to work on it. Having a tractor sidelined can be costly for a farmer, but having a key system on a warship out of service creates a very modern "For Want of a Nail" scenario. No one wants to see a warship sunk "For Want of a Technician." To address the issue, lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation, dubbed the "Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025," which seeks to prohibit the United States Department of Defense from entering into contracts for goods unless the contractor agrees to provide access to the necessary parts, tools, software and technical information to diagnose, maintain and most importantly repair the particular piece of equipment. "The Pentagon's move to secure the right to repair is not just about cost savings; this is about sovereignty and resilience. When critical systems break, the ability to repair, adapt, and restore them should not depend on a single vendor or proprietary code. For the military, that is not just inefficient; it is a strategic vulnerability. And it is clearly a national security risk," warned Angeli Gianchandani, global brand strategist and adjunct instructor of marketing and public relations at New York University and a graduate of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Gianchandani said the issue mirrors the broader shift across industries, such as agriculture, automotive, and aerospace; namely, as systems become more software-driven and complex, organizations are realizing they need more control. However, the military can't be dependent on the OEM's teams to handle these repairs. It is a situation that is impractical in peacetime and utterly unimaginable in wartime. Battles Aren't Delayed By Broken Systems, They're Lost The Federal News Network recently reported on the "countless examples of how restricting service members from repairing their own equipment" has impacted military readiness. It cited contractors who were flown out to sea, and how the Marines were forced to ship broken engines back to the United States. This is unacceptable, primarily since the service invests billions in equipment and boasts some of the best training programs in the world. "The military typically can and has people with sufficient training, more importantly, the military deploys its people into war zones and areas where a vendor repair team would be either unwanted or that would put that team at mortal risk," suggested Enderle. The military needs platforms that its personnel can maintain and repair without having to call tech support, as has been the case with reports of Ukrainian soldiers needing to call tech support. In at least one case, the call was made to a Russian company. "Thus products with this restriction should be failed out of the bid process unless the military can show a critical need for it that can't be met by anyone else, and the vendor can accurately and honestly report that the military lacks the skills, tools, experience, or safety protocols that make such work viable," Enderle continued. "So this rule might successfully apply to a unique or experimental offering, but for anything that is widely deployed, no right to repair should be a non-starter." AI To The Rescue One solution could be greater use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to help maintain and, when necessary, repair key systems. "That is where AI could be a game-changer," said Gianchandani. "The Pentagon cannot afford to take a reactive stance. They need to plan forward to embed repair intelligence into every layer of the system. AI is the perfect enabler. It can detect issues before they escalate, guide in-field repairs, and reduce dependence on OEMs. This is the future of readiness."
CBS News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sens. Warren, Sheehy team up on bipartisan military bill backed by Trump administration
Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren, one of the most liberal members of the U.S. Senate, is teaming up with Montana Republican Tim Sheehy, one of the upper chamber's most conservative, to advance a new Pentagon policy that has earned support from top Trump administration officials. Warren and Sheehy are introducing legislation on Tuesday that would give the Department of Defense the "right to repair" its own military equipment — a policy that could save the Pentagon money, resources and, most critically, time. The legislation, called "The Warrior Right to Repair Act", has bipartisan support and is expected to be included in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act, which approves funds and policy for the DOD. Traditionally, defense contractors who provide the U.S. military with equipment often restrict the DOD's ability to conduct its own repairs, leading to higher costs, delays and waste. Warren and Sheehy pointed to instances where the Navy had to fly contractors out to sea to perform routine fixes or Marines in Japan had to send engines back to the U.S. for repair instead of on site, and Marines in Korea having to choose between violating contracts or delaying training exercises because machinery was inoperable. And, they said, in some instances, the Army can't write its own training manual without sign off from a contractor. The senators also note the exorbitant costs of repair by a contractor compared to that by a service member, and that many defense contracts prohibit sharing intellectual property and technical data with the DOD that would enable service members to repair their own equipment. Warren and Sheehy both sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and are concerned about the impact on military readiness and flexibility as well as on national security. And each has a unique approach to the policy. Warren has long advocated for this change, and views it as fighting against consolation and for more competition. Warren pushed the issue during Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's confirmation hearing, and he agreed with her concerns. In April, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Army to include right-to-repair provisions in all new and existing contracts. "To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems," Hegseth wrote in a memo to Pentagon leadership. The Secretary of the Navy has also expressed support for a similar policy. The Warren-Sheehy legislation would not only codify that into law, but would also apply across military branches. "It's common sense for members of our military to be able to fix their own weapons. Sen. Sheehy and I are fighting to improve military readiness and save taxpayers billions," Warren said in a statement to CBS. "It's about time we stand up to Pentagon contractors that are squeezing every last cent from us at the expense of our national security." Sheehy is a former Navy SEAL officer, who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He approaches the issue as having served on the battlefield. "For decades, American service members have been forced to rely on a broken status quo to repair equipment on the battlefield, threatening our readiness and costing taxpayers billions," he said. "Our warfighters – and the American public – deserve better, and I'm proud to lead this bipartisan legislation to streamline bloated bureaucracy, increase competition, and provide our warfighters with the quality and quantity of equipment they need to win the next fight." Driscoll, the Army Secretary, also supports the legislation. "Over the last few decades, the Army has signed away its ability to repair its own equipment. Through the Army Transformation Initiative we are going to ensure that every contract going forward will enable our soldiers to repair their own equipment," he said in a statement. "Doing this will save taxpayer dollars and get equipment back on the battlefield faster. I'm thrilled this important issue has bipartisan support in Congress."
The Verge
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Texas Right to Repair bill passes, heads to the governor's desk
Texas moved closer to becoming the next state with a right to repair law on the books, as the state Senate unanimously voted 31 - 0 to finalize HB 2963 this weekend. It would require manufacturers to make spare parts, manuals, and necessary tools available for equipment sold or used in the country's second most populated state. As more states have passed right to repair laws, we've seen repair options and information becoming more widely available nationwide from companies like Apple and Samsung. If the bill is signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, that will add another significant market with these requirements in place. A press release from the United States Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), which has pushed for repairability laws nationwide, noted that this would make Texas the ninth state with a right to repair rule, and the seventh with a version that includes consumer electronics. It follows New York, Colorado, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Maine, and most recently, Washington, and would be the first state on the list with a Republican-controlled government. 'More repair means less waste. Texas produces some 621,000 tons of electronic waste per year, which creates an expensive and toxic mess. Now, thanks to this bipartisan win, Texans can fix that,' said Environment Texas executive director Luke Metzger.
CNET
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Apple Expands Official Self Service Repair Options to Include iPads
Having iPad trouble? With Apple's May 29 expansion of its Self Service Repair Store, you may be able to fix your device at home. Users will have the choice of taking their iPads into an Apple Store Genius Bar or attempting certain repairs by themselves -- with help from Apple's own resources. The Self Service Repair Store will now offer genuine iPad parts (including displays, batteries, cameras and charging ports), repair toolkits and the ability to arrange an Apple Diagnostics session, among other add-ons. This change also affects independent repair providers who were not previously able to legally repair iPads or offer parts to customers. The service expansion will apply to iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16) models. This follows past expansions Apple has made to its self-repair program, begun in 2022, such as adding the MacBook Pro in 2023. At the time, we noted that this move may be in response to the Right to Repair movement, which has led to repair-oriented legislation in all 50 states. Whatever the reason, Apple has now expanded its own self-repair options to tablet owners. "At Apple, our goal is to create the world's greatest products that last as long as possible," Brian Naumann, Apple's vice president of AppleCare, said in a statement. "With today's announcement, we're excited to expand our repair services to more customers, enabling them to further extend the life of their products — all without compromising safety, security, or privacy." Apple also announced that its Self Service Repair options would be expanding into Canada this summer, making it the 34th country offering the program. A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
GSM Arena
28-05-2025
- Business
- GSM Arena
Apple adds some iPads to the Self Service Repair program
Before 2021, the only way to repair your iPhone was to visit Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers that qualified. Apple then introduced the Self Service Repair program after growing pressure from different state and country laws, like the EU's Right to Repair Directive. The program expanded to MacBooks in 2023, and now iPads are next in line. Apple now provides access to repair manuals and spare parts like displays, batteries, cameras and charging ports. Self Service Repair support isn't available to all iPads, though. Apple lists only the iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad (A16) for now. With the new iPads, the Self Service Repair program now covers 65 devices and 33 countries. Canada will also be added to the program sometime this summer. Source
