Apple Executive Testifies Against Parts-Pairing Provision in Oregon Right-to-Repair Bill

First Public Testimony

On Thursday, John Perry, Apple's principal secure repair architect, testified before the Oregon legislature against a right-to-repair bill under consideration in the state. According to reporting, this marked the first time Apple has had an employee publicly lay out the company's opposition to right-to-repair legislation at an open hearing.

Perry told lawmakers that the bill's language on parts pairing would compromise the security, safety, and privacy of Oregon residents. He argued the provision would force device manufacturers to permit the use of what he described as "parts of unknown origin" in consumer devices.

A Shift From California

Apple's stance in Oregon stands in contrast to its posture in California, where the company supported a right-to-repair law passed last fall. That law was described as weaker than the Oregon proposal. The distinction between the two bills centers on the parts-pairing provision: Oregon's version includes stronger language on this issue than California's law did.

Google Takes the Opposite Side

Google has publicly supported the same Oregon legislation that Apple opposes. Google has indicated it can comply with the bill's parts-pairing provision without difficulty, setting up a divide between two of the industry's largest device makers over a single piece of state legislation.