The right-to-repair movement, explained: what it means for your devices

The right to repair movement wants owners and independent shops to fix electronics with real parts and manuals. Regulators now agree. The FTC told Congress in May 2021 that repairs often demand specialized tools and hard-to-get parts, while diagnostic software stays proprietary. Oregon answered in 2024 with a law that binds makers to fair terms. Here is the right to repair explained: what it demands, and what changed for the newest devices. The story moved fast after 2021, from a federal study to a state statute, and the newest rules now reach hardware sold from January 1, 2025. This connects to our earlier piece, The U.S. state privacy law patchwork, mapped for normal people. Where the movement began The federal record started the current wave. In May 2021 the Federal Trade Commission sent Congress Nixing the Fix, a report ordered after a public workshop on repair restrictions in July 2019. Its finding was plain. Many consumer products have become harder to fix and maintain.

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