Big tech companies like Apple don’t want you to be able to fix your own iPhones, computers, or any other technology you’ve bought from them. They go out of their way to keep parts, tools, and repair manuals out of the hands of independent parties.
To top it off, the lifespan of these products is short—iPhones and computers generally last only a few years, and AirPods won’t last much longer than 18 months. This disposable economy has spurred a growing movement of activists fighting against repair monopolies and for their own rights to repair broken technology. But it’s a difficult fight. As right to repair proponents spread their message and propose legislation, the Big Tech lobby continues to influence lawmakers against it. On this episode of The VICE Guide To Right Now Podcast, we talk with Motherboard’s Editor-in-Chief Jason Koebler about his longtime reporting on the right to repair movement, and why it’s important to break up Big Tech’s stronghold on repairing broken products.
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