Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2023
Abstract
The only parties that stand to benefit financially from obstructing repair and touting replacement are the oligopolies dominating the market, although they will often state otherwise. Apple Inc., which has consistently made this claim, is one of the most notorious anti-repair corporations. Along with its corporate counterparts, Apple has engineered a hostile consumer landscape that is highly structured and policed, with no autonomy for the consumer, or perhaps simply the illusion of autonomy. This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of repair and the Right to Repair (R2R) movement, using Apple as a case study to exhibit Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEMs) efforts to obstruct repair. It begins with a brief history of humanity’s gradual loss of repair skills and knowledge, and highlights the movement’s importance in reclaiming repair. These losses are positioned as the products of sociologist Hartmut Rosa’s ‘social acceleration’ theory, concomitant with OEMs’ anti-repair strategies. Finally, it dissects Apple’s role in slowing the movement through its use of manipulative business practices. In addition to demonstrating the hold that OEMs have on consumers and the market, and the importance of repair, it is hoped that this paper will fill a gap in R2R research, as the movement’s nascency means that there is scant academic research published on the subject despite its frequent news coverage.