An Oregon legislative committee advances right-to-repair bill despite Apple’s objections

An Oregon legislative committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would give consumers the right to repair their electronic devices, moving ahead despite concerns from Apple that the legislation could compromise consumer privacy and safety, reports Oregon Live.

“Overwhelmingly, consumers just want to be able to fix their things,” Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, said at a committee hearing Tuesday. Sollman is co-sponsor of House Bill 1596, which would require manufacturers to make it possible for people to repair their consumer electronics on “fair and reasonable terms.”

Apple senior manager John Perry lobbied against the right-to-repair bill, which is the first time the company has had an employee actively outline its stance on right to repair at an open hearing, according to 404 Media.

“It is our belief that the bill’s current language around parts pairing will undermine the security, safety, and privacy of Oregonians by forcing device manufacturers to allow the use of parts of unknown origin in consumer devices,” he told the legislature.