The US state of Oregon is about to have the strictest right-to-repair law to date. The representatives have already passed “Senate Bill 1596”. The governor now has five days to sign or veto. The new law would be the first to ban so-called parts pairing, in which components must be digitally connected to the device and cannot simply be exchanged.
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Apple in particular is known for this. Last year, this component nailing led to a lowering of the “Repairability Score” for the iPhone 14, as more and more components in the iPhone have to be activated via software so that users do not receive error messages. Problems even arise when replacing components from Apple itself, because the replacement parts first have to be connected to the respective iPhone using proprietary tools.
Oregon against digital component nailing
Parts Pairing requires the serial numbers of components to be digitally linked to the serial number of the iPhone. This is intended to prevent repairs from being carried out successfully using third-party or inferior spare parts, which almost excludes independent workshops in particular. However, repairs using certified Apple components are uneconomical in many cases.
Oregon’s Senate Bill 1596 is similar to California’s right-to-repair law passed last year, which entitles citizens to parts and software, but goes beyond that with its anti-parts pairing rule. While California requires seven years for repairs, Oregon leaves the deadline up to the manufacturers. Repairs can only be carried out as long as spare parts are available. Oregon’s law applies to all smartphones sold since mid-2021, but the ban on parts pairing only applies to electronic devices manufactured from the beginning of 2025.
Google for this, Apple points to a security risk
The Oregon Senate passed the bill on February 20 by a vote of 25-5. The House of Representatives in the northwestern US state voted in favor yesterday by 42 votes to 13. Google previously supported Oregon’s new law in an open letter, calling it “a compelling model for other states to follow.” Techcrunch reports.
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Apple fully supported California’s right-to-repair law, but isn’t entirely convinced by Oregon’s bill. An Apple employee previously stated during a hearing that Apple agreed to most of Senate Bill 1596. However, parts pairing regulations would require Apple to accept third-party biometric sensors without authentication. This could lead to unauthorized access to personal information.
Since Apple cannot adapt its products for Oregon, this would also be a security risk worldwide. The proposed law is now on Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk.
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