iFixit—iFixit petitioned the FTC to investigate manufacturer repair restrictions as unfair trade practices
In 2023, iFixit filed a formal petition with the Federal Trade Commission urging the agency to investigate and take enforcement action against manufacturers who use software locks, parts pairing, and other technical barriers to prevent independent repair. The petition was supported by extensive technical documentation.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Protection | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Right to Repair | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | +0.643 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
Confirms lobbying Jul 1, 2023 documented
iFixit announced FTC petition to restore Americans' right to repair
iFixit published a blog post announcing their formal petition to the FTC urging investigation of manufacturer repair restrictions including software locks and parts pairing as unfair trade practices.