Thieves, consider yourselves on notice: California is now smartphone "kill switch" territory.
The so-called software is designed to make stealing smartphones essentially pointless by allowing owners to remotely lock their device so no one can use it. The technology, which includes Apple's "Activation Lock" and Google's "Device Protection," has become a key selling point among phone manufacturers that offer peace of mind to protect customers' information if a phone is stolen, and hopefully discourage thieves from stealing it in the first place.
There's good reason for these features. In the past several years, government officials have noticed an "epidemic" of phone thefts, particularly in large cities. Thieves often steal phones and sell them to cartels and shops that often shipped them to willing customers overseas.
The technology industry's answer has been to create software that responds to a theft by requiring users to input a passcode before it can be unlocked or restored to factory settings. The technology looks to be working: In 2013, 3.1 million Americans had their phones stolen, according to a study published by Consumer Reports last month. Last year, that number fell to 2.1 million, according to the report.
Aside from the dropping theft numbers, there's another indication the kill switch is working. Last year, CNET interviewed a former smartphone thief about his motivation for stealing phones. He targeted the devices because it was "a lot faster" than other crimes. But kids might think twice about stealing phones if they knew they couldn't be unlocked, he said.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon pushed for the smartphone "kill switch" mandate. James Martin/CNET
The next step was making sure people used the technology. California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill last August mandating kill switch software be included and turned on in all smartphones manufactured after Wednesday and sold in the state.
The bill, which was sponsored by California state Sen. Mark Leno and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, received some pushback from the wireless industry before it was passed. The industry argued a kill switch could be exploited by hackers, but supporters of the law have questioned the motivations of mobile carriers, which have lucrative deals with insurance partners.
