#right-to-repair

#right-to-repair

Through lobbying efforts and consumer advocacy campaigns, right to repair folks argue that when somebody buys a piece of technology, they should have the legal right to fix it, replace broken parts, or upgrade it using services, tools, and replacement parts accessed on the open market.

Buying a GPS watch isn't a casual purchase. Most runners are dropping somewhere between $300 and $800 on a device they expect to last years. At that price, you're not just paying for battery life or training metrics. You're buying into a promise of reliability, toughness, and support if something goes sideways. But when things do break - and they do - the story often falls apart. Cracked screens. Busted buttons. Dead batteries. None of these issues should mean a watch is done for,

The EFF 35 Cityscape proposes a future where users are empowered to repair and tinker with their devices, move freely without being tracked, and innovate with bold new ideas.

Phelan highlighted that a significant portion of repair difficulties arises from restrictive vendor contracts, making basic fixes costly and time-consuming for the Navy's operational equipment.