No Kill Switch For Stolen Smartphones

Smartphone thefts are on the rise across the U.S. In an instance a thief can steal a smartphone and make several hundred dollars off of that one phone. Just imagine what one day of stealing smartphones could yield a career criminal -- several thousands a day easy. The problem has become so prevalent that law enforcement officials are suggesting manufacturers and wireless carriers implement a "kill switch" that would render a stolen smartphone useless thwarting the thief's ability to resale the item.

Unfortunately not everyone thinks a "kill switch" is the answer to this problem:

[District Attorney George Gascon said Monday that AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, United States Cellular Corp., Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. rebuffed Samsung's proposal to preload its phones with Absolute LoJack anti-theft software as a standard feature. The wireless industry says a kill switch isn't the answer because it could allow a hacker to disable someone's phone.

Gascon, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other law enforcement officials have been demanding that manufacturers create kill switches to combat surging smartphone theft across the country.

Almost 1 in 3 U.S. robberies involve phone theft, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Lost and stolen mobile devices _ mostly smartphones _ cost consumers more than $30 billion last year, according to a study cited by Schneiderman in June.]source:idahostatejournal.com

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