Investors Urge Microsoft to Give Consumers Right to Repair Electronic Devices

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Stefanie Spear, [email protected], 216-387-1609

BERKELEY, CA—JUNE 24, 2021—In a move to bolster the growing “right to repair” movement intended to extend the life of consumer electronics, As You Sow has filed a shareholder resolution requesting that Microsoft analyze the environmental and social benefits of making its devices more easily repairable through measures such as the public provision of tools, parts, and repair instructions.

“Microsoft positions itself as a leader on climate and the environment, yet facilitates premature landfilling of its devices by restricting consumer access to device reparability,” said Kelly McBee, waste program coordinator at As You Sow. “To take genuine action on sustainability and ease pressure on extraction of limited resources including precious metals, the company must extend the useful life of its devices by facilitating widespread access to repair.”

Reparability is a key tenet of a circular economy, wherein the traditional take-make-dispose model is disrupted, new resource extraction is minimized, and existing resources are kept in perpetual use. Electronics are the fastest growing waste stream in the world, and nearly 70% of the emissions associated with personal computing devices arise during production. Extending device lifespan through repair can help mitigate both the upstream mining and refining toxins and emissions and downstream landfill pollution.

Recently, federal legislation was introduced which, if passed, would require Microsoft and other companies to make diagnostic repair information, parts, and tools readily available to small businesses and consumers. This bill comes after the introduction of dozens of similar state-level bills in recent years, many of which Microsoft has actively opposed. 

At present, Microsoft makes its devices exclusively repairable at selective authorized repair shops, a practice that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determined there is “scant evidence” to justify in a report it issued to Congress in May of this year. The FTC has previously cited Microsoft for its antagonism to repair, warning the company that its practice of voiding warranties for independent repair may be illegal.

Consumers are increasingly showing loyalty to brands that are more easily repairable. This awareness recently led France to pass the world’s first law requiring publication of reparability scores on all devices at point-of-sale. Microsoft’s compliance with the French law has led to disappointing scores, adding to historical negative publicity regarding the company’s poor reparability record compared to competitors Dell, HP, and others.

“For Microsoft to authentically pursue its commitment to be carbon negative by 2030, it must make it easier for consumers to repair their device than to buy a new one,” said McBee. “An important first step will be the company considering the public provision of repair tools, parts, and instructions, as this resolution and current federal legislation outline.”

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As You Sow is a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies. Click here to use As You Sow’s shareholder resolution tracker.