Apple AirPods are designed to die: Here’s what you should know
AirPods are nearly impossible to repair and their batteries are short-lived. Apple should design them to last.
New economy
As we keep producing and consuming ever-increasing quantities of “stuff,” a growing number of people are asking: Can we create an economy that values common interests, public health and the quality of our lives, over growth at any cost?
We should be able to fix our stuff when it breaks. We need easy access to the information, tools, resources and third party repair shops it takes to fix our cell phones, appliances, electronics and other equipment. That means working together to get the companies who make our stuff, to give us the right to repair our stuff. When they do, it will be better for the planet, better for our budgets, and things will work the way they are supposed to.
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The Latest
Bipartisan bill fixes copyright restrictions on Right to Repair
AUSTIN -- If Congress passes a new bipartisan bill unveiled Wednesday, Americans will be able to fix their broken stuff without worrying that the companies that made those products will sue them. The Right to Repair Act of 2022, which Reps. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN), would end an unintended consequence of an outdated copyright law that outlaws certain types of repair and repair tools. The 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) makes it a crime to bypass digital security locks. Manufacturers can place repair functions behind these digital locks, which makes fixing the product you bought from them and own, in effect, a copyright violation -- everything from tablets to tractors.
STATEMENT: Apple concedes to Right to Repair movement, reverses ban on selling parts to consumers
Apple reversed its longstanding policy against selling spare parts, providing repair instructions, and making repair software tools available to customers.
TexPIRG expresses frustration with doctors’ lawsuit that could delay implementation of surprise billing protections
Today the Texas Medical Association filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to put a stop to newly proposed rules regarding implementation of the No Surprises Act. The No Surprises Act will go into effect January 1, 2022, and is lauded as a landmark consumer law to protect millions of Americans from most unfair surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers. These surprise bills come from balance billing -- when out-of-network medical professionals charge patients the difference between their fees and the maximum amount allowed by their insurance company. Studies show one in five patients are hit with a surprise medical bill after receiving care in a hospital or emergency room.
Statement: U.S. PIRG applauds President Biden’s proposed child benefit extension
President Joe Biden is moving in the right direction with a proposed an extension of the child tax credit as part of his “American Families Plan.” It’s about time that Congress corrects a historic failure to fully value the contribution of at-home caregiving.
We’re calling on the FTC to take action on Right to Repair
The FTC is due to report on repair restrictions, and we’re pressing for real action to follow.