Ever had your phone give up the ghost just after the warranty period is over? Although some people think it’s just down to luck, an increasing number of us believe it’s all part of the company’s cunning plan to make us replace it, also known as planned obsolescence.
Over the last few days I have come accross several sources online claiming that France is to punish planned obsolescence with 2 to 10 years prison and fines of up to 300 000 euro. Although it is certainly a step in the right direction, I am feeling very skeptical towards something which would basically reduce turnover for companies and therefore, curb tax revenue. Unless we consider the sadly possible case where most people change their gadget just because the new one is cooler…
This documentary is extremely interesting, and I can not help but notice it has only just been uploaded, despite the fact it’s four years old! So just in case it’s disappeared by the time you get here, it’s called Pyramids of waste / the lightbulb conspiracy.