TWO YEARS AGO, as Nebraska was considering a “right to repair” bill designed to make it easier for consumers to fix their own gadgets, an Apple lobbyist made a frightening prediction. If the state passed the legislation, it would turn into a haven for hackers, Steve Kester told then-state senator Lydia Brasch. He argued the law would inadvertently give bad actors the opportunity to break into devices like smartphones. The bill was later shelved, in part because of industry pressure.
Now, with right-to-repair legislation gaining traction across the country, a new nonprofit advocacy group called Securepairs.org wants to push back against that kind of messaging, arguing instead that devices can be both easy to fix and secure. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren recently proposed a national right-to-repair law, and the Federal Trade Commission is holding a hearing on the issue in July. More than a dozen states are also considering right-to-repair bills, including Apple’s home state of California, which will hold a hearing on its version today. READ MORE:
Comentários