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Oregon's Right to Repair bill is now a law
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has signed the state's Right to Repair bill into law, and it even comes with a provision that potentially makes it stronger than California's and Minnesota's versions. It's the first to prohibit (PDF) a practice called "parts pairing," which requires the use of certain proprietary components for repair. Parts pairing prevents third-party repair services from replacing a broken component with one that didn't come from the brand itself, because it wouldn't work with the company's software. People would usually get error messages if they try to install an unauthorized part, forcing them to buy from the company itself.
Under the new rules, preventing an independent provider from installing off-brand parts is prohibited. As is reducing the performance of a device that had been fixed with an unauthorized component. Even those error messages and warnings are not allowed. The ban on parts pairing doesn't cover devices that are already out, though, and will only be applicate for anything manufactured after January 1, 2025.
While manufacturers like Apple seem to have changed their tune in recent years and now generally support the Right to Repair movement, Oregon's parts pairing provision was still a point of contention. Apple senior manager John Perry told lawmakers in a testimony that his company "agrees with the vast majority of Senate Bill 1596." However, it's also worried about the security implications of allowing the use of unauthorized parts, such as biometric sensors, for replacement.
Regardless, the ban on parts pairing is now a rule under Oregon's law, along with making compatible parts available to device owners through the company or authorized service providers for favorable prices and without any "substantial" conditions. Companies are also required to make documentation on how to fix their devices, as well as any special tools needed to repair them, available to repair shops. These rules will apply to all phones sold after July 1, 2021 and to other consumer electronic devices sold after July 1, 2015.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oregons-right-to-repair-bill-is-now-a-law-064955635.html?src=rssOregon Governor Signs Nation's First Right-To-Repair Bill That Bans Parts Pairing
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Anti-trans hate is ‘widespread’ on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, report warns
Meta is failing to enforce its own rules against anti-trans hate speech on its platform, a new report from GLAAD warns. The LGBTQ advocacy group found that “extreme anti-trans hate content remains widespread across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.”
The report documents dozens of examples of hate speech from Meta’s apps, which GLAAD says were reported to the company between June 2023 and March 2024. But though the posts appeared to be clear violations of the company’s policies, “Meta either replied that posts were not violative or simply did not take action on them,” GLAAD says.
The reported content included posts with anti-trans slurs, violent and dehumanizing language and promotions for conversion therapy, all of which are barred under Meta’s rules. GLAAD also notes that some of the posts it reported came from influential accounts with large audiences on Facebook and Instagram. GLAAD also shared two examples of posts from Threads, Meta’s newest app where the company has tried to tamp down “political” content and other “potentially sensitive” topics.
“The company’s ongoing failure to enforce their own policies against anti-LGBTQ, and especially anti-trans hate, is simply unacceptable,” GLAAD’s CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.
Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But GLAAD’s report isn’t the first time the company has faced criticism for its handling of content targeting the LGBTQ community. Last year the Oversight Board urged Meta to “improve the accuracy of its enforcement on hate speech towards the LGBTQIA+ community.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anti-trans-hate-is-widespread-on-facebook-instagram-and-threads-report-warns-215538151.html?src=rss