Here are a few things to catch up on from the holiday.
There are new data protection laws in Virginia and California.
Verizon shut down its 3G network at the end of the year, the last major US carrier to do so.
And, in New York, the governor signed that Right to Repair law we have been tracking. That said, it’s not as drafted – the governor had it modified, stripping out the bill’s requirement for “original equipment manufacturers [or OEMs] to provide to the public any passwords, security codes or materials to override security features.” OEMs will also be able to bundle “assemblies of parts” instead of just the specific component needed for a DIY repair if “the risk of improper installation heightens the risk of injury.” The rules will only apply to devices built initially and used or sold in New York for the first time after July 1st. There’s also an exemption for “digital products that are the subject of business-to-business or business-to-government sales and that otherwise are not offered for sale by retailers.”
Why do we care?
I’m catching up too, and it’s that last one that I wanted to dwell on. Critics say the changes weaken the law. I’m glad it passed, and I expect case law to work itself out here. Customers have an avenue to challenge, and that’s what we care about. I don’t expect this to be the last, and we’ll see a trend this year.