Microsoft gives a win to the 'right to repair' crowd [Updated]

As You Sow, a shareholder representative that filed a resolution demanding that Microsoft up its "right to repair" game, recently received a response from the visitor in question. The resolution was spurred due to negative publicity surrounding Microsoft's anti-repair stance equally well equally the looming threat of impending legislation regarding the topic.

Microsoft'due south response came in substitution for the shareholder resolution being withdrawn. This is what the tech giant agreed to do, as reported by Every bit You lot Sow:

Consummate a third-political party report evaluating the environmental and social impacts associated with increasing consumer access to repair and determine new mechanisms to increase access to repair, including for Surface devices and Xbox consoles;

Expand the availability of certain parts and repair documentation beyond Microsoft's Authorized Service Provider network; and

Initiate new mechanisms to enable and facilitate local repair options for consumers.

In that location'southward a lot of vague wording in those capitulations, so what the actual material consequences of Microsoft's proposed actions will be remains anyone's guess. Even so, the specific namedrops of Xbox and Surface devices do requite some hope for those looking to gear up their consoles and laptops at habitation with their ain two hands rather than by shipping off their device for an official repair.

This is not an end to the "right to repair" fight, far from information technology. Merely it is a victory, fifty-fifty if the size of it has yet to be revealed. Betwixt White Firm and shareholder pressure, the repair move has caused some fuel with which to maintain its opposition to the policies of companies such as Microsoft and Apple.

Update October 7, 2022 at 5:10 p.thousand. ET: Microsoft has provided the post-obit statement.

Microsoft has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability. We also have a longstanding commitment to building high-quality, innovative, and condom devices that customers love. Nosotros have been taking steps for years to improve device repairability and to expand the available choices for device repair. As You lot Sow asked u.s.a. to investigate the connections between our sustainability commitments and device repairability. Information technology was a productive give-and-take, and we have agreed to undertake that important study, the results of which will be used to guide our product design and plans for expanding device repair options for our customers. For more information on our work around sustainability, including repairability, please consult the Microsoft Devices Sustainability Report.

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