'Kill Switch' bill revived in California
Posted by: Jon Ben-Mayor on 05/09/2014 05:40 AM
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The California senate passed a revised version of the 'kill switch' bill on a 26-8 vote - the originally proposed legislation had been struck down several weeks ago in a narrow defeat; the legislation would require anti-theft technology in all new smartphones manufactured after July 1, 2015, allowing the device to be rendered inoperable if it is lost or stolen.
Consumers who don't want a kill switch on their smartphones will be able to opt out and deactivate the technology.
Retailers who distribute smartphones without the required technology will be subject to a civil penalty up to $2,500 for every phone sold that fails to comply.
According to Mercury News, the decision was applauded by law enforcement groups, who say arming all smartphones with software that can remotely disable them is the best way to tell crooks they're not worth stealing. But with many wireless carriers still putting up a fight, the bill could face a challenge in the state Assembly.
If the bill becomes law, industry experts say, it could set a new standard across the country, as many states are trying to address a dramatic rise in increasingly violent robberies of smartphones. New York, Minnesota, Illinois and the federal government are all considering legislation that would put anti-theft technology in cellphones.
"If this proposal becomes law in California, it will likely command discussion in any other states with large, urban populations where cellphone theft has become an issue," said Ross Rubin, a principal analyst for Reticle Research. "And now, it seems like there's acceptance of this concept in some quarters of the wireless industry where there wasn't before."
Consumers who don't want a kill switch on their smartphones will be able to opt out and deactivate the technology.
Retailers who distribute smartphones without the required technology will be subject to a civil penalty up to $2,500 for every phone sold that fails to comply.
According to Mercury News, the decision was applauded by law enforcement groups, who say arming all smartphones with software that can remotely disable them is the best way to tell crooks they're not worth stealing. But with many wireless carriers still putting up a fight, the bill could face a challenge in the state Assembly.
If the bill becomes law, industry experts say, it could set a new standard across the country, as many states are trying to address a dramatic rise in increasingly violent robberies of smartphones. New York, Minnesota, Illinois and the federal government are all considering legislation that would put anti-theft technology in cellphones.
"If this proposal becomes law in California, it will likely command discussion in any other states with large, urban populations where cellphone theft has become an issue," said Ross Rubin, a principal analyst for Reticle Research. "And now, it seems like there's acceptance of this concept in some quarters of the wireless industry where there wasn't before."
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