Ever looked at your phone and thought it would be a whole lot prettier without all those FCC logos and regulatory compliance numbers printed on the back? Well, from now on, they will be a thing of the past. Here’s why.
US President Obama yesterday signed a new E-Label Act into law. Introduced by senators Deb Fisher (R-NEB) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.VA) in July, the legislation allows manufacturers to stop printing all those numbers and symbols on the back of electronic devices, and instead simply display them within software. It’s that simple.
The labelling of devices sold in the US began in 1973, 39 years after the FCC was created and years before we all started carrying smartphones, tablets and the like. Now, 41 years later, lawmakers have clearly seen sense.
Fisher and Rockerfeller argued that the change could introduce cost savings and simply make the manufacturing process of gadgets easier — particularly for things like smartwatches, where it may not be easy to find a space to print the symbols. But, c’mon, let’s be honest: this is a change of policy largely motivated by aesthetics.
Sadly, it won’t be the end of all regulatory logos on the back of devices. If gadgets are to be sold in Europe they will still have to display its CE mark, for instance. But we are at least one step closer to the cleanest, most elegant phone casings we’ve ever seen. [E-Label Act via The Hill via Verge]