Whenever your phone screen cracks or your laptop conks out, you need to get it fixed. Sometimes, these repairs can cost hundreds of dollars. Tech manufacturers can charge students lesser prices for repairs in some cases, but they want to take advantage of your lack of alternatives to their services. Major tech and entertainment companies are consolidating their power, squeezing every ounce of profit they can from your Netflix subscription or the repairs for your broken headphones while excusing the increase in cost as a result of inflation. As a college student, you shouldn’t have to accept that businesses can interfere with the product you’ve purchased. Right-to-repair laws, which legislate the ability to repair devices outside of their manufacturers, are the first step to stopping big business monopolies and preventing the extinction of individual self-sufficiency.
The right to repair isn’t just intended for the average computer or television. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating corporation John Deere for attempting to restrict customers from accessing software for the company’s tractors and farming equipment. Similarly, Apple fought against right-to-repair laws in Oregon in February, forcing consumers to purchase specialized Apple services like Apple Self Service Repair in order to fix their devices. Restrictions on software or hardware information availability aim to make buyers reliant on the seller for repairs, forcing customers to pay higher prices at companies instead of self-repairing. In particular, these companies’ greed harms those who frequently use technology, such as college students. Emory University students should not have to suffer under the extreme greed of dominant syndicates just to fix a cracked screen or a blurry camera. Many of us already operate on low budgets because of educational costs, and as consumers, we deserve the ability to own and regulate purchased products without relying on the unreasonable prices of global corporations.
It is not just companies that harm consumers by limiting the right to repair — mergers and acquisitions have the same effect. These actions narrow the market to a single major firm that can charge exorbitant amounts and refuse the individual any rights related to their service. When Microsoft acquired Activision-Blizzard in 2023, for example, the Windows-owning tech giant promised the FTC that it would not raise prices on the company’s popular Xbox Game Pass service. Shortly after the merger was finalized, Microsoft went back on its promise to the FTC, essentially spitting in the face of government regulation and decency to consumers.
Despite the blatant disregard for consumers shown in Microsoft’s case, governmental regulatory committees often do not block mergers and acquisitions, showing the U.S. government’s inaction in defending the economy. It also does not help that large corporations appeal to consumers by touting the supposed benefits of massive transactions. Whether it is the Disney-Fox, Warner-Discovery or Capital One-Discover merger, each intends to sway the populace with streamlined content and greater access to their products. However, these corporations screw over the public in the long run by constantly increasing costs for streaming services and general credit card loans. Right to repair legislation will create further legal avenues to fight against monopolization. By fighting for the right to repair, you can show the government that you will not stand for monopolies trampling on your individual purchases.
Disney or Capital One may try to sell you on their plans, but you should not believe that any merger will benefit your wallet. Mergers monopolize in all directions, permitting industry giants to swallow smaller businesses until they can control every market available, just as with Apple and their control over smartphones. There will be no more creativity in Emory’s pop-up businesses like the Emory Farmers Market, or family-run businesses like Falafel King. The thrift stores and mom-and-pop stores you see in Decatur, Ga., and Midtown Atlanta will be replaced by one all-encompassing brand, willing to place an ever-rising fee on people simply trying to live. Through right to repair legislation that approves alternative repair methods, students can discourage monopolistic brands from stifling further individual choice and charging higher prices.
One of the criticisms aimed at the right to repair addresses the increase in e-waste, a term referring to waste from abandoned electrical devices. Critics argue that lower-priced smartphones will result in more e-waste because the cheaper prices increase availability of such machines. E-waste can easily be donated to a local Goodwill store or electronics shop, invalidating this concern. Many establishments are willing to accept the parts of broken or older phones and other equipment and repurpose them for new technology. The right to repair is also what allows consumers to reuse and repair e-waste without the interference of the manufacturer.
Critics of the right to repair and other antitrust legislation do not argue in good faith, swearing the right to repair is harmful to the public and requesting blind trust that big businesses will honor the consumer. Yet, there is no doubt that any business out there would not double back on promises for the sake of wider profit margins. Meanwhile, corporations like Microsoft and Apple use planned obsolescence to convince their customers to buy newer, more expensive technologies. By supporting the right to repair, you are not only supporting self-reliance but also simultaneously fighting for longer-lasting products.
We can stop this push for noncompetitive practices through corporate dominance. Currently, there are multiple pieces of legislation in the U.S. Congress based on right-to-repair principles. Championing right-to-repair legislation is one of the first steps that Emory students can take to combat multinational monopolies. Companies like Apple think they can satisfy customers with slight support for right-to-repair laws. However, that support does not excuse Apple continuing anti-competitive practices for repair of their own devices. As the right to repair garners more support, more individuals can reinvent the established practices of mega-corporations, exterminating the possibility of a stagnant market.
We cannot let the U.S. government permit the disenfranchisement of individuals' right to repair by corporate cabals. Do not let advertisements of bundled subscriptions and memberships persuade you, as they are not intended to benefit the average college student or American citizen. When the battery on your iPhone runs out, do not take it to the Apple Store, which will charge an exorbitant price for a simple fix. Instead, take it to your local repair shop. Fight against the billionaires who want to trade individuality for an extra dollar. Even though it is not the most glamorous cause to fight for, Emory students deserve a world where their purchases can truly benefit them and not a soulless mega-corporation. Advocating for the right to repair is the first step in opening up the monopoly dominated markets to the individual retailer, allowing further legal challenges to the grip of multinational cartels on your ability to choose. We can become the architects of our choices. All it takes is a little bit of fight.
Contact Noble Garcia at Ncgarc4@emory.edu.
