Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement

Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has issued a passionate endorsement of the right-to-repair movement, despite the company's opposition.

The movement wants laws passed to guarantee users access to information and parts to repair their own devices.

"We wouldn't have had an Apple had I not grown up in a very open technology world," Mr Wozniak, its co-founder with Steve Jobs in the 1970s, said.

"It's time to recognise the right to repair more fully."

'Extremely dangerous'


Existing right-to-repair rules in Europe and the US are limited to appliances and vehicles, respectively.

And right-to-repair advocates say Apple is one of the fiercest opponents to expanding the legislation to cover consumer electronics.

It allows repairs by its own authorised technicians only and does not generally provide spare parts or repair information.

And it has reportedly engaged lobbyists to persuade lawmakers repairing devices can be extremely dangerous.

But Mr Wozniak, 70, said: "Companies inhibit [the right to repair] because it gives the companies power, control, over everything.

"It's time to start doing the right things."

Mr Wozniak made his comments in an impassioned nine-and-a-half-minute reply to a request from right-to-repair campaigner Louis Rossmann on Cameo, a site that allows ordinary people to pay celebrities for a short message.

"This one has really gotten to me," he said.

"When starting Apple, I could never afford a teletype for input or output.

"They cost as much as two cars."

But he knew how TVs worked and had access to schematics - so he built his own solution to turn his TV into an early computer monitor for the Apple I.

"I didn't have to afford something I could never afford," he said.

"I wasn't restricted from anything that kept me from building that computer and showing the world that the future of personal computers is going to be a keyboard and a TV.

"That all came from being able to repair things, and modify them, and tap into them yourself."


He also credited an open platform with the success of the Apple II, which he said had shipped with schematics and designs.

It had been, he said, the only source of profits at Apple for the company's first decade.

"So why stop them? Why stop the self-repair community?" he asked.

"How was Apple hurt by the openness of the Apple II?"

Mr Wozniak left Apple in the mid-80s but revealed in an interview last year he was still technically an employee, receiving a weekly paycheque of about $50 (£36) out of "loyalty" despite having no role in the running of the business.

'Creative minds'


He also had much to say about the value of open technology for education.

"You could repair a lot of things at low cost - but it's even more precious to know that you did it yourself," he said.

And he spoke of the "motivation and joy" of young people learning to write software and develop hardware "to prove to themselves they've got a little special skill in the world", adding it was "very motivating for creative minds, believe me - that's how I grew up".

Earlier this year, Mr Rossman began trying to raise $6m to get the right to repair passed into law by a direct-ballot initiative.

So far, he has raised $750,000.

And he has now posted a video asking for direct involvement and a donation from Mr Wozniak, saying other interested donors were waiting for a figurehead to "go first" before donating large amounts.

Apple has been contacted for comment.

US President Joe Biden is widely expected to announce some form of executive order on the topic in the coming days - as pressure also mounts from officials in Europe.


Should devices be easier to fix?


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×