Right to Repair Updates

The movement is rolling along steadily in the U.S.

Mobile devices, farm equipment, home appliances...if you've been following the Right to Repair "movement," you'll notice by now that it's outgrown that definition. What began as a grassroots push in the 2010s is now a legitimate force within American legislature and the workforce.

This is illustrated by bill proposals occurring frequently, and thoroughly covered by The Repair Association, one of the flagship organizations that spearheaded the movement from its earliest stages. TRA recently provided an update on some of the latest headlines in the Right to Repair orbit, detailed below with ancillary source material.

• Windows 10 Lawsuit: Forced Upgrades on Trial. PCMag — Microsoft is being sued for ending Windows 10 support and nudging millions toward Windows 11. Repair advocates call it planned obsolescence by software. Read more

• Google’s Pixel Watch 4 Finally Fixable. Wired — The new Pixel Watch ditches glued-in batteries. Parts swaps are possible without destroying the device. Read more

• Retailers Double Down on Repair. NRF — The Reverse Logistics Association (RLA) has folded into the National Retail Federation (NRF). Translation: America’s largest retailers now have repair on their radar. Read more

• Europe: Spare Parts and Software Support Under Fire. Right to Repair Europe — EU campaigners warn Microsoft’s Windows 10 end-of-life could create 400 million useless PCs. At the same time, new ecodesign rules force phone and tablet makers to provide spare parts within 5–10 days. Read more

• Australia: Vehicle Repair Rules Tighten. Australia updated its Motor Vehicle Service & Repair Information Scheme with new compliance rules and enforcement teeth. Read more

• iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro earn 7/10 repairability from iFixit. Apple’s thinnest phone yet surprisingly scored a 7/10 for repairability. Dual-entry design, modular USB-C, and debonding battery adhesive show thin can still mean fixable. Read more about the iPhone Air here, and the iPhone 17 Pro here.

In 2025, every state legislature has taken up Right to Repair bills, according to The Repair Association, which added in its September newsletter that "eleven states have already passed binding laws covering everything from consumer electronics to powered wheelchairs to farm equipment." The outspoken advocacy group has no intention of letting up, stating that items such as "blenders, breast pumps, tractors, and even gaming consoles" are next on the docket.