Right to Repair
27th March 2026
In today’s session, Lara Houston gave a presentation called “Critical breaking & repair” which outlined the many barriers to repairing digital media and consumer electronics. These barriers are categorised as physical, organisational, and legal. Examples include Apple’s “Batterygate,” Nikon’s restriction of parts to authorized dealers, and John Deere’s restrictive software that prevents farmers from repairing their own tractors.
To combat this, the presentation highlights grassroots movements aimed at enhancing “consumption knowledge” (a term drawn from Arjun Appadurai). Initiatives like Repair Cafés, Restart Parties, and the Fixer’s Manifesto encourage consumers to fix their own devices and view repair as a creative, anti-waste act rather than relying on replacements.
Crucially, the right to repair is gaining legislative traction to increase the accessibility of “production knowledge” especially in France where legislation has already been passed. European policies include VAT reductions on repairs, Sweden’s tax deductions for fixing appliances, and France’s 2015 ban on planned obsolescence alongside its “Repairability Index”. Similarly, the EU’s ‘Ecodesign’ directive mandates that devices must withstand drops, maintain battery health, and guarantee spare parts and software updates for five to seven years.
The movement is also advancing in the US, with states like Minnesota, California, and Colorado enacting laws to secure repair rights for everyday consumers and farmers.
It struck me how conditioned to disposable products I have become. Without a second thought, I generally accept that an item will cease to work and that the only available course of action is to replace the thing in question with a new model. In general, US farmers do not strike me as the most sympathetic group but there is no doubt that they have opened my eyes and their campaign deserves applause and praise.
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