California to Mandate Smartphone Kill Switches
Feb 7, 2014, 8:27 AM by Eric M. Zeman
California has decided to legislate what the wireless network operators won't do voluntarily. California State Senator Mark Leno and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon are expected to introduce legislation today that will require all phones sold in the state to be equipped with an antitheft solution or kill switch. Gascon worked with New York lawmakers and Samsung to craft such a solution, but the carriers balked at the idea of implementing it. Leno and Gascon believe stronger measures are needed to deter cell phone thefts and to protect consumers. They want the law to go into effect January 1, 2015, and have proposed penalties of $2,500 for each phone sold in the state thereafter. "With robberies of smartphones reaching an all-time high, California cannot continue to stand by when a solution to the problem is readily available," said Leno. "Today we are officially stepping in and requiring the cellphone industry to take the necessary steps to curb violent smartphone thefts and protect the safety of the very consumers they rely upon to support their businesses."
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Comments
Kill switch -> kill owner?
People's Republic of CA
Where is John Galt already?
Well maybe they should...
Here in the Southeast, we don't have nearly the problem with robbery/mugging that CA and the northern states have. Why? Because almost any law abiding person, from a college kid to an elderly lady, might be armed. Simply put, attempting robbery of an armed victim can result in the robber having a Bad Time. We really don't have very many bad guys getting shot, but their knowledge that there's a good possibility it could happen tends to keep them at bay.
The great part is the effect trickles down, so those who choose not to carry are pro...
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"California has decided to legislate what the -yada yada yada------won't do voluntarily"
This phrase is what troubles me most about California legislatures. Its said over and over and over again with various topics ranging from eggs, ...
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Will Kill Switches Work?
Screen = $140.00
Battery = $40.00
Back Cover = $40.00
Not to mention any of the individual pieces that may be worthwhile (replacement camera module, etc.)
International Note3 has this Kill Switch!
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California your a state not a country!
1. Cell phones are sold in other states and not in California, so people in California will have to go to Nevada, Arizona, or Oregon to buy phones.
2. California people will have to go start ordering their phones online.
3. OEM think this is stupid, and ship phones without storage to California with it saying TO BE SOLD ONLY IN CALIFORNIA because then no one will want to steal those phones. (most unlikely)
4. OEM's decide to ignore California because they do not want to completely disable a good working phone, i.e. an ex trys to get back at you and disables you phone completely.
5. How about people use Android Device Mana...
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it' like your car comes equipped with alarm system but you rather go out of state to buy a car without car alarm?
remember? you can set a PIN for your simcard and wireless carriers...
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Killswitches should be in everything.
Stolen Car? Don't worry. Hit the kill switch to melt your engine block! People should have killswitches in them too, so if you get kidnapped, your life can be ended quickly without the need to pay a ransom, giving the terrorists NO LEVERAGE, which is really the important thing.
sigh
In my opinion a better and faster public transportation system will greatly benefit and help California's economy the Freeways get more and more congested every year. Its no longer driving, its more or less fighting to not get hit by an idiot.
