JAKARTA - Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has reportedly given his support for the right to repair movement, even as tech giant Apple still disagrees on the issue.
In a recorded message for the Cameo website, Wozniak said that, "we wouldn't have Apple, if he didn't grow up in a very open world of technology," Wozniak said as quoted by MakeUsOf, Friday 16 July.
The 70-year-old man who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs said he strongly supports the rights movement to fix it. Apple would not have succeeded without the ability of people like himself and his co-founder, Steve Jobs, who were able to disassemble hardware, tinker with, repair, modify, and repair with impunity.
"So why stop them? Why stop the self-improvement community? I really think the people behind it are doing the right thing. It's time to recognize the right to improve more fully," Wozniak said.
Wozniak's comments come amid growing arguments from leaders of the right to repair movement. Proponents of the movement claim that the tech giant is currently promoting a culture of "planned obsolescence."
Proponents of the right to repair also allege that large companies design their devices in such a way that they only last a certain amount of time and then have to be replaced. Another reason why the movement is getting more vocal is because they believe multiple devices not only put more pressure on the environment but also lead to a waste of natural resources.
On the other hand, Wozniak is of the view that technology companies should provide commercial tools or spare parts for users to repair their own gadgets or have them done by third parties.
He pointed to the success of the Apple II computer, which he said was maximally modifiable and extensible and the only source of profit for Apple during its first years.
"It wasn't a success purely by luck. There are a lot of good things about being so open that everyone can join in," Wozniak said.
In fact, Apple, the company he left, has long faced criticism for policies that limit the extent to which its customers can repair iPhones and other electronics without compromising their official warranties or warranties.
In the past, the company only allowed its authorized service providers to receive genuine Apple parts and other materials needed to perform repairs. That changed in 2019, when the company expanded the number of officially recognized repair businesses.
"But I believe that the company (still) hinders it because it gives the company power, control over everything. It's time to start doing the right thing. It's time to recognize the right to improve more fully," said Wozniak.
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