Isn't stuff too complicated for most people to repair it these days?

Even in complicated objects like smartphones and cars, most repairs are simple—you replace a broken part with an intact one. If you can change a broken light bulb, you've got the skills you need to do the most-common electronics repairs.

If I'm never going to fix my own phone, why should I care about the Right to Repair?

Manufacturers' repair restrictions make repair more expensive and difficult to find for everyone. When all repair has to go through a manufacturer's authorized center, you may wait a long time for repairs. They can charge you whatever they like, without competition. And they might tell you that something can't be fixed even when that's untrue, because they make more money when you replace your stuff instead of repairing it. Breaking up those repair monopolies helps us all.

Will I void my warranty if I repair something myself or take it to an independent repair shop?

In the US, it's illegal for manufacturers to void your warranty for repairing your own stuff or having an independent shop repair it. Similarly, in Australia, courts have confirmed that customers may choose their own repair avenue for cars and phones without voiding their consumer protections. Warranty laws vary by country, so check your local regulations.

Why are manufacturers so opposed to the Right to Repair movement?

The simple answer is that repair monopolies make manufacturers money. In their own shops, they can set repair prices and push you to buy new. Even though Right to Repair legislation polls incredibly well—in one poll, 84% of respondents were in favor—it's seen fierce opposition from manufacturers' lobbying groups. The companies publicly recorded as lobbying against Right to Repair are collectively worth $10.7 trillion. Manufacturers will say they're worried about customer safety or data security, but the US Federal Trade Commission says there is 'scant evidence to support' these arguments.

Why do manufacturers say they're worried about customer safety? Is repair dangerous?

Electronics repair is six times safer than the average job. Sure, swollen batteries can catch fire, and you should be careful when handling them. And don't get under your car when it's supported only by a jack. But manufacturers overplay the risks of repair to scare people away—when the main thing repair hurts is manufacturers' bottom line.

Lots of proposed Right to Repair laws mention getting into software locks. Will my data be secure, even if repair shops can break those locks?

The software locks that prevent repair aren't the same locks that protect your data. Cybersecurity experts agree that making repair possible won't endanger device security. The US Federal Trade Commission found that independent shops are no more or less likely than manufacturers' shops to mishandle customer data. And in fact, manufacturers have already devised systems to make repairs possible while protecting data: In Korea, Samsung Galaxy phones have a Repair Mode that lets customers choose which data to make available while enabling all the repair-necessary features of the phone. All manufacturers across the world could do the same if they wanted.

Don't manufacturers have a right to protect their intellectual property?

Of course they do! And Right to Repair wouldn't challenge that right. The repair manuals that Right to Repair laws are requesting can't be copyrighted. And those laws wouldn't make copyright infringement legal—manufacturers could still pursue anyone making a knockoff product. Plus, repair information shouldn't make copyright infringement any easier. If anything, manufacturers making their own parts available should decrease the incentive for knockoff parts.