TED Business
Why don’t companies want you to repair your stuff? | Aaron Perzanowski
Feb 24, 2025
Aaron Perzanowski, a legal scholar focused on the right to repair, sheds light on how companies hinder consumer efforts to fix their products. He discusses the detrimental effects of planned obsolescence and its role in driving waste. The restrictive practice of parts pairing limits repairs, leaving consumers frustrated and reliant on expensive new purchases. Perzanowski also emphasizes the emergence of community repair movements, urging listeners to advocate for transparency and repair-friendly policies in a world dominated by consumerism.
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Quick takeaways
- Manufacturers employ tactics like gluing components and parts pairing to limit product repairability, increasing electronic waste significantly.
- Consumers are advocating for their right to repair, leading to movements and laws promoting transparent repair options and interchangeable parts.
Deep dives
Challenges in Device Repairability
The difficulties consumers face in repairing their electronics are largely due to strategic decisions made by manufacturers. Companies often employ tactics that hinder the repair process, such as gluing parts instead of using screws and restricting access to essential product information. For instance, the concept of parts pairing means that components are assigned unique serial numbers, making it difficult to replace them without the manufacturer's authorization. This has resulted in a significant amount of electronic waste, as consumers are forced to discard broken devices instead of opting for repairs.
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