Since 2015, in France, planned obsolescence – the fixed expiration of a product – is a serious offence, difficult to demonstrate but widely observed in recent years especially in the hi-tech sector and in particular in the case of smartphones, and not just Apple, designed to have an early end. The European Commission has strongly condemned this practice but in a general way. Now, due to the multiplication of other cases of products with…suspicious premature death, a bomb measure. In France, in fact, the HOP (Halte à l'Obsolescence Programmée) association is very active, which has conducted a successful campaign to punish "sly" companies, and which has insistently asked the French government to intervene so that companies are forced to write on their products the foreseeable life and their repairability. This should finally allow the consumer to choose a product based on its real quality, and based on the ease of being able to repair it in case of failure.
Smartphones that last 2 years
Which could become a threat to Asian manufacturers, especially those that they exploit millions of workers on starvation wages, in inhumane environmental conditions and using low quality materials. All this means that it is -as for smartphones, and for the vast majority of models- of products knowingly studied not to exceed two years. It is now proven that millions of hi-tech devices of this type arrive from China. And that this unfair competition against those who try to sell at higher costs and quality creates very serious problems for the environment (disposable is highly polluting) and for the health of consumers. As well as destroying millions of jobs. The French government has launched studies to obtain that manufacturers and importers between now and 2020 position –voluntarily- a flash code that allows you to know clearly, durability and repairability of the product. No, it's not good, the HOP people object, this honest information practice must be imposed and tax breaks foreseen for those who facilitate the repair which extend the life of the product by creating a positive circuit of jobs.
From the blog Paula's house.
