When a household appliance gives out after a couple of years, the path of least resistance is usually to replace it. For all sorts of reasons — outdated software, inaccessible customer service or batteries that are sealed into the device — these items are often impossible to repair.

Around the world there's a growing chorus of voices fighting for the right to repair. But tech giants in the US are pushing back against this movement, arguing that it presents privacy and security risks.

So should companies be required to make sure their customers can use the products they buy for as long as possible? And is people power enough to force that change?