Bad news for Apple: After EU, senators in US push for common charging standard

(Image: The charging port for Apple's iPhone SE)

After the European Union mandated all manufacturers to use USB Type-C as a universal charging standard from fall 2024 on, a group of senate democrats in the US have called upon the commerce department to come up with similar norms.

Technology website The Verge said senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders wrote an open letter to commerce secretary Gina Raimondo, urging the department to follow the European Union's (EU) lead and implement a similar strategy in the United States.

The senators said that the EU had acted "in public interest by taking on powerful technology companies over this consumer and environmental issue" and the "United States should do the same".

The senators said that proprietary chargers such as ones used by Apple for their lightning ports create e-waste and financially burden consumers who own multiple devices from different manufacturers.

In a statement to The Verge, Markey said that old, outdated chargers take up unnecessary space in landfills "while we shell out more money to tech companies for new ones".

“This waste is driving consumers up the wall, and it’s driving our planet deeper into a climate crisis." said Markey. "I’m asking the Department of Commerce to follow the lead of the European Union and look into solutions so that we can save our money, our sanity, and our planet.”

When asked if they expect the tech industry to retaliate, Markey said "Big Tech is allergic to regulation" and they would need to "continue to stand up to this industry to make sure their interests don’t come at the expense of environmental and consumer wellbeing”.