New York has become the first state in the United States to establish an electronics-specific right-to-repair statute. The bill passed the New York State Senate by a vote of 59 to 4 and the Assembly by a vote of 145 to 1. According to Vice, "the law is the most sweeping consumer rights legislation to pass in recent memory in the United States."
The Digital Fair Repair Act is a new regulation that applies to all consumer electronics firms and requires them to sell repair parts, tools, and repair documentation under "fair and reasonable conditions."
Some firms, like as Apple, have already begun to provide replacement parts and equipment to users who want to do their own repairs. This, however, has proven to be a band-aid solution rather than a meaningful reflection of what it means for customers to have the right-to-repair, such as the ability to do repairs yourself or at a repair shop of your choice without voiding a warranty.
The bill was inspired by a Massachusetts statute that went into effect in 2012. Manufacturers signed a "memorandum of understanding" after the Act was approved, which essentially indicated that the legislation resulted in countrywide policy changes since manufacturers preferred to have a single standard policy across the United States.
