Pressure Systems edition
State Repair Laws and Fairphone Challenge Hardware Monopolies
September 6, 2026
What this edition shows
State legislatures and European regulators are confronting corporate hardware enclosures through mandatory right-to-repair statutes and modular handset designs from manufacturers like Fairphone. These regulatory and market interventions run parallel to civil society efforts to secure public infrastructure, from human rights data cooperatives to food assistance networks.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 8 sources
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‘Right To Repair’ State Laws Continue To Surge, But Enforcement Remains Nonexistent
There’s still a massive effort afoot to implement statewide “right to repair” laws that try to make it cheaper, easier, and environmentally friendlier for you to repair the technology you own. All fifty states have at least flirted with the idea, though only Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Minnesota…
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Colorado Sees First Lawsuit Under ‘Right To Repair’ Law
At this point all fifty states have considered passing “right to repair” law aimed at making it easier and cheaper for consumers (and independent repair shops) to repair their tech. That said, only Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Minnesota, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington have actually…
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The EU’s repair policies are changing the way tech is designed
Roman Chazov/Shutterstock In the late 1970s, concerned by resource use and scarcity, German industrial designer Dieter Rams developed his “ten principles for good design”. Among other things, he argued for design that is long-lasting and environmentally friendly. Half a century later, his concerns a…
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Nearly impossible? How Fairphone built the ethical, repairable Fairphone Gen 6+.
Fairphone's CTO explains how and why the Dutch company builds a different kind of smartphone.
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The Fairphone 6 Plus is the midrange phone we desperately needed
Repairability rules. The Fairphone 6 Plus feels like an extremely average midrange Android phone and I couldn't be more thrilled. The mission has always been admirable. Fairphone seeks out ethically sourced materials and offers a high degree of repairability for its devices. But the phones themselve…
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Essential digital technologies are critical infrastructure – they are not always built and managed that way
Passengers fill a terminal at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on July 19, 2024, after a major internet outage disrupted flights worldwide. AP Photo/Ty ONeil What do the water system in Flint, Michigan, the electrical grid in Puerto Rico and your search engine have in common? They are a…
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'Technology Freedom Cooperative' To Build Infrastructure for Human Rights and Justice Groups
How can human rights and social justice advocates and investigators protect their data and technology infrastructure in an age of rising authoritarianism in the United States and abroad? Earlier this month, a coalition of human rights, justice, and data organizations launched the Technology Freedom…
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What is public interest technology? An expert on data and policy explains how it helps people in need
Public interest technology can be used to help keep people from being exposed to lead paint. The Washington Post via Getty Images Every year, millions of people who qualify for food assistance never get it. The money exists and they meet the eligibility rules, but they don’t know that the program ex…