Elle Scorcho

France has taken a bold step by making planned obsolescence a criminal offense — meaning companies can now be punished for intentionally designing products to wear out early. If manufacturers deliberately create electronics or appliances that fail sooner than they should- whether through weak hardware, software updates that slow devices, or other built-in limitations, they can face serious consequences. Penalties include up to two years in prison and fines of €300,000, or as much as 5% of a company’s annual revenue in major cases. The law grew out of France’s consumer-protection efforts and was strengthened after investigations into phone slowdowns revealed how software could be used to push people into buying replacements. But this isn’t just about punishment. It’s part of France’s wider “right to repair” movement, which aims to reduce electronic waste, stop hidden forced upgrades, and encourage companies to make products that last longer and can be repaired more easily. By cracking down on disposable-by-design goods, France is sending a strong signal to manufacturers worldwide: build products to last. The goal is a more sustainable system where items are repaired instead of replaced helping both consumers and the planet.