President Obama Signs E-Label Act, Companies No Longer Required to Etch FCC Labels on Devices

Earlier this year, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) introduced the E-Label Act, which would allow for companies to meet the FCC's demands for certification labels by placing digital stamps on a device's software as opposed to etching information on hardware. The senators argued that the changes would allow manufacturers to save money and pass savings onto consumers. This was followed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) loosening its rules for labeling, stating that manufacturers could bypass etching FCC labels on their devices in favor of labeling by alternative means.

Now, The Hill reports that U.S. President Barack Obama has officially signed the E-Label act into law, which will now allow for companies like Apple to drop FCC labeling from their devices. Instead of being etched on hardware, it is likely that the required information will now be inside of a settings menu. However, it is also likely that the certification labels representing the European Commission (EC) and its Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) initiative will still be seen on devices.