Appliance, Tractor, And Irrigation Companies Lobby Against Military ‘Right To Repair’ Reforms

Despite the best efforts of automakers and companies like Apple, states continue to push forward with popular “right to repair” reforms that make it easier and more affordable for consumers to repair tech they own.

While they vary in potency, New York, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Maine, and Minnesota have all now passed some flavor of right to repair laws. Colorado just got done passing its third such bill. The first two ensured that consumers had access to the parts, tools, and documentation they needed to repair agricultural equipment and powered wheelchairs.

The push has even started to expand into the military, and some appliance and tractor manufacturers aren’t happy about it. The fine folks at 404 Media obtained documents showcasing how both industries are lobbying hard against new legislation that could make it easier for the U.S. military to fix the equipment they buy.

As usual, baseless fearmongering is the name of the game, with both industries claiming that more affordable and easier repair would somehow hurt small companies, and might even pose security risks:

The letter argues that the legislation “would undermine the principle underpinning existing technical data rights statutes, which are designed to balance the government’s technical data needs against contractors’ need to protect sensitive proprietary and trade secret information.”

The claim that easier and more affordable repair poses some kind of unacceptable privacy and security risk is always the first one made by companies looking to lock down their lucrative repair monopolies. Apple for years falsely claimed such reforms would create a dangerous surge in nefarious hackers. Automakers claim such reforms will be a boon to sexual predators.

A 2021 bipartisan FTC report showcased how these claims are routinely false. In reality, right to repair reforms not only help make repair more affordable (a boon to military-funding taxpayers) but drive greater availability of manuals, parts, and tools, making tech safer.

In this case the lobbying and policy organizations trying to scuttle military right to repair reforms range from the “Institute of Makers of Explosives” and Aerospace Industries Association to the Irrigation Association, all of which are clearly getting nervous about the potential for even broader federal reforms.