California lawmakers introduce a bill forcing mobile devices sold in the state to have a kill switch

The lawmakers in the state of California have introduced a bill that could reduce the number of smartphone thefts in the state. Introduced on Friday, the bill requires new smartphones and tablets sold in the state to come with something akin to a digital kill switch. This would allow a stolen device to be remotely bricked, thus making it worthless to any thieves.



New York City and San Francisco law enforcement officials have been the most vocal in trying to get phone and tablet manufacturers to build a kill switch into their devices. The stats are amazing. 50% of all robberies in San Francisco, and 75% in neighboring Oakland, are mobile related. In L.A., the number is rising. This has led to the introduction of California Senate bill 962 which states that all smartphones and tablets sold in the state starting January 1st 2015, need to have "a technological solution that can render the essential features of the device inoperable when the device is not in possession of the rightful owner."



The bill doesn't specifically mention a kill switch, and allows either the manufacturers or the carriers to provide the required software or hardware solution. The "switch" should prevent the device from making or taking calls, accessing the internet or running apps. The system will also be resistant to a hard reset, and while end users will have the option of deactivating it, retailers will not have that choice. In fact, retailers will be fined between $500 and $2500 for each device rung up that does not include the technology needed to remotely kill a smartphone or tablet. Private sellers of second hand units will not be covered by the bill.



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