A clause in Google's repair program terms of service made waves this week: It stipulates that devices containing unauthorized parts should not be returned to their owners. This is a policy strongly criticized by advocates of the right to reform.
The right to repair advocates were angry
Nathan Proctor, director of the US PIRG Right to Repair Campaign, denounced this provision: “ Google needs to change this policy quickly. Obviously, confiscating the device to use third-party parts is unacceptable. »
Guy Gordon Byrne, director of the Repair Association, compared the policy to Samsung's, which requires repair shops to report customers using unofficial parts. She stressed that ” It is especially petty to refuse to return a property that may have used a non-OEM part [pas d’origine] She also indicated that Google supports the right to repair in the American states of Oregon and Colorado, where laws related to this topic were recently adopted.
Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, added that this policy is unusual for Google, and that he expects the legal text to change soon. Fortunately, this is what happened and the company quickly corrected the situation.
” If a customer sends their Pixel phone to Google for repair, we won't keep it, whether it contains unauthorized parts or not. », reassured the spokesman. On the other side, ” In some situations, we will not be able to complete the repair if there are safety concerns. In this case, we will send it back to the customer or work with them to determine next steps Google plans to update its terms and conditions to clarify this situation.
The issue of electronic device repair remains a sensitive topic for large companies in the technology sector. Google has expressed its willingness to fix problematic items in its repair program, but doubts remain within the repair community. The Google Store's Durability promotional page heavily promotes the device's repairability; It thus confirms that ” When you choose to repair your phone instead of replacing it, you help reduce electronic waste. »
However, we see that the true intentions of companies remain suspicious, or at the very least, questionable. Repair programs are often designed to be so restrictive that only a few consumers use them.
🟣 To not miss any news on Journal du Geek, subscribe to Google News. And if you like us, we have a newsletter every morning.
