[dontbenebby]

It's not really a question, hardware switches work and companies refuse to put them in so they can... shrink the profile of devices in ways that rely on rare earth minerals to an unsustainable degree when combined with the typical replacement rate.

[walterbell]

Hopefully legislated right-to-repair can open the door to aftermarket mods, including phone body with new switches that can electrically disconnect specific sensors.

[dontbenebby]

Ehhhh... is right to repair the right phrasing?

I worry about requiring switches in the same way one can require a universal standard for power delivery. (The EU did that recently... good move IMO, though I can understand the delay since discussions about amperages and whatnot do take time.[0])

Maybe requiring anyone who wants to contract with the US government to offer such a model, and that said model be available for consumer purchase as well, would be a simple solution.

They sometimes won't let say, Russia, buy the same stuff as say... Canada... but that's usually stuff like night vision goggles. The exact same phone or laptop, just slightly larger with more switches shouldn't have any... I think the word is "export controls"?

Please keep in mind, I am not a lawyer, and I'm very stupid -- I only have a master's degree -- so sometimes the things I say are wrong... please only credit me for the times I'm right. Thx!

I'm off to do more drugs now... have a nice Thursday!!

- Greg from Pennsylvania

[0] https://www.npr.org/2022/10/07/1127543116/eu-mandate-for-a-s...

[walterbell]

"Right to Repair" is the terminology that has gained the most legal traction (e.g. some narrowly-scoped legislation) in the US and EU. https://www.repair.org/