Apple backs California right-to-repair bill in major policy shift
Apple CEO Tim Cook reacts to a customer carrying a Macintosh SE during the opening of the new Apple BKC store in Mumbai, India, on April 18, 2023.
Indranil Aditya | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple is now backing a California right-to-repair bill, a major shift in the company’s attitude toward the movement and a potential boon for the environment, according to a letter obtained by CNBC.
California Senate Bill 244 would require manufacturers such as Apple to allow customers to fix their broken or damaged devices. It was introduced by state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman in March. Eggman has put forward other right-to-repair bills in the past, saying that expanded right-to-repair legislation would “give consumers the choice to save some money.”
In a Tuesday letter to Eggman’s staff, Apple’s policy team concurred but said the company would not support the bill if it allowed repair shops to turn off Apple’s anti-theft remote locks, which often make it impossible to repair or activate old computers that have been sold.
“We support SB 244 because it includes requirements that protect individual users’ safety and security, as well as product manufacturers’ intellectual property. We will continue to support the bill, so long as it continues to provide protections for customers and innovators,” the company’s lobbyists wrote in the letter seen by CNBC.
Apple also said that it would continue to support the bill as long as repair shops were required to disclose “the use of non-genuine or used parts.”
TechCrunch and do-it-yourself repair-guide company iFixit were first to report on the letter.
“Apple’s support for California’s Right to Repair Act demonstrates the power of the movement that has been building for years and the ability for industries to partner with us to make good policy to benefit the people of California. I’m grateful for their engagement on this issue and for leading among their peers when it comes to supporting access to repair,” Eggman told CNBC.
Apple engaged with the lawmaker’s team “very early on” in what Eggman’s chief of staff David Stammerjohan told CNBC were “very constructive” conversations. Stammerjohan declined to comment on engagement or lobbying from other manufacturers.
“Apple supports California’s Right to Repair Act so all Californians have even greater access to repairs while also protecting their safety, security, and privacy. We create our products to last and, if they ever need to be repaired, Apple customers have a growing range of safe, high-quality repair options,” Apple said in a statement to CNBC.
The bill would require manufacturers who sell products for more than $100 — a threshold that applies to most of Apple’s products — to make replacement guides, parts, and tools available for at least three years after the date that manufacture ended.
Historically, the company has opposed right-to-repair laws. Apple is not usually a major direct lobbying force but has reportedly used its considerable heft to curb right-to-repair legislation in other states, including New York.
There have been a few reasons why the company has opposed similar bills. Apple sells AppleCare+ insurance for all of its major product lines, which drives store visits and can sometimes lead to ancillary revenue if a product needs to be replaced.
But Apple is also serious about maintaining quality and controlling customer experiences. In the past, replacing an iPhone screen at a non-authorized vendor would void your iPhone warranty. Substandard materials used by non-official repairers can lead to further damage down the line, or simply just not work.
The company, under pressure from consumer groups, has relaxed its position in recent years. For example, customers can now replace iPhone batteries under Apple’s Self Service Repair program, first launched in 2021. The program lets customers order genuine parts directly through Apple and repair devices themselves.
Apple left the door open to supporting further expansion of right-to-repair in the letter to Eggman. “Apple appreciates the opportunity to support your efforts to improve consumer options in California,” the letter said.
— CNBC’s Kif Leswing contributed to this report.
WATCH: Apple’s fix-it program a good but small step in the right direction
Technology
South Korea’s LG Energy Solution signs $4.3 billion battery supply deal with undisclosed party
Technology
CyberArk’s stock jumps on report Palo Alto Networks in talks to buy company for over $20 billion
Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, looks on during the closing bell at the Nasdaq Market in New York City, U.S., March 25, 2025.
Jeenah Moon | Reuters
CyberArk shares soared as much as 18% on Tuesday after The Wall Street Journal reported that cybersecurity provider Palo Alto Networks has held discussions to buy the identity management software maker for over $20 billion.
Cloud security is becoming an increasingly critical piece of the enterprise tech stack, especially as rapid advancements in artificial intelligence bring with them a whole new set of threats, and as ransomware attacks become more commonplace.
Founded in 2005, Palo Alto Networks has emerged in recent years as a consolidator in the cybersecurity industry and has grown into the biggest player in the space by market cap, with a valuation of over $130 billion. CEO Nikesh Arora, who was appointed to the job in 2018, has been on a spending spree, snapping up Protect AI in a deal that closed in July, and in 2023 buying Talon Cyber Security, Dig Security and Zycada Networks.
But CyberArk would represent by far Arora’s biggest bet yet. The Israeli company, which went public in 2014, provides technology that helps companies streamline the process of logging on to applications for employees.
CyberArk faces competition from Microsoft, Okta and IBM‘s HashiCorp. Another rival, SailPoint, returned to the public markets in February.
With Tuesday’s rally, CyberArk shares climbed to a record, surpassing their prior all-time high reached in February. The stock is up 29% this year, pushing the company’s market cap to almost $21 billion, after jumping 52% in 2024. Palo Alto shares, meanwhile, slid 3.5% on the report and are now up about 9% for the year.
Representatives from Palo Alto Networks and CyberArk declined to comment.
During the first quarter, CyberArk generated around $11.5 million in net income on around $318 million in revenue, which was up 43% from a year earlier.
It’s been an active stretch for big deals in the cyber market. Google said in March that it was spending $32 billion on Wiz, its largest acquisition on record by far, and a purchase intended to bolster its cloud business with greater AI security technology.
Networking giant Cisco also made its biggest deal ever in the security space, buying Splunk in 2023 for $28 billion. Splunk’s technology helps businesses monitor and analyze their data to minimize the risk of hacks and resolve technical issues faster.
— CNBC’s Ari Levy contributed to this report
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike