Surya Raghavendran started fixing phones when Apple tried to charge him
$120 to fix the defective screen they’d installed in his phone; instead,
he followed online instructional videos and fixed it himself.
That was in ninth grade. Now, Raghavendran is 17 and runs his own business, SKR Screen Repair.
But SKR Screen Repair is in trouble: Apple’s newest Ios version uses DRM
to prevent third party screen repairs, locking out third-party screens.
The change prompted Raghavendran to branch out into politics and
advocacy: he’s joined with Environment Michigan and US PIRG to advocate
for a Right to Repair bill (previously) in Michigan. Raghavendran meets with state lawmakers and has circulated a petition and compiled personal stories about the need to protect independent repair.
Repair services account for 4% of US GDP, and they create community jobs
that let neighbors help each other get more use out of their own
property, while diverting electronics from landfills.
