Apple is battling California’s Right to Repair legislation, currently under consideration by state legislators. The Cupertino firm claims consumers could hurt themselves if they attempt to repair their own devices.
Motherboard reports that over the last few weeks, an Apple representative and a ComTIA, a trade organization representing major tech companies, have met with California legislators in an effort to convince them to vote down the state’s right to repair legislation, which would ease the path for customers that wish to fix their own devices.
The two lobbyists have met with members of the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. Apple tells lawmakers that customers could potentially injure themselves if they accidentally puncture the batteries that power their devices while attempting to repair them.
The lobbyists brought a visual aid to the meetings in the form of an iPhone. They showed lawmakers and their aides the internal components of the device. Lobbyists warned the legislators that consumers could puncture the lithium-ion battery while attempting to disassemble the device. The interactions were related to Motherboard by sources that asked to not be named, as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Apple has always lobbied against any such legislation in numerous states, as the legislation would require companies like Apple to supply tools, parts, and repair information available to the public.
While Apple devices are notoriously difficult to repair, due to the small, proprietary components and the adhesive used to hold things together, it hasn’t deterred thousands of small repair shops across the U.S. from offering iPhone repairs.
Not everyone agrees with Apple’s view of things, such as Nathan Proctor, director of consumer rights group US PIRG’s right to repair campaign.
“To suggest that there are safety and security concerns with spare parts and manuals is just patently absurd,” Proctor told Motherboard in a phone call. “We know that all across the country, millions of people are doing this for themselves. Millions more are taking devices to independent repair technicians.”
