Right-to-Repair: Stop Asking Nicely

The current state of right-to-repair is a textbook example of corporate defiance. As reported by The Register, the European Union attempted to force mobile device manufacturers to provide spare parts and technical documentation via online portals. The result? A thudding failure.

The Register reports that while the registry has accumulated approximately 2,300 entries after a year, only about 18 percent of those are reasonably compliant. The remaining entries are characterized by useless data, misdirections, and gaps. This is the corporate equivalent of saying "Yes, dear" while continuing to do whatever they want. We see this pattern of avoidance everywhere, from Samsung's design choices with the Galaxy S26 Ultra to the EU allowing wearables to bypass user-replaceable battery rules.

Opinion: The carriers and hardware giants are treating these laws as optional suggestions. We cannot rely on the honor system when the goal is to enforce the basic right to own what you buy. The Register suggests a path forward: moving away from self-certification toward formal processes. For example, the FCC already requires test results and documentation for equipment authorization and FCC IDs; repairability data should be integrated into these requirements.

If we want sustainable resource management and actual consumer freedom, we must demand enforcement. Regulators need to deploy tools that match the aggression of the "fast-buck brigade" by requiring e-commerce sites in the U.S. and EU to list approval numbers for product listings. Until we stop asking nicely and start mandating accuracy, the right to repair will remain a suggestion rather than a law.