Smartphone anti-theft steps announced by the wireless industry...

Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment,” in which new models of smartphones manufactured after July 2015 will have a preloaded or downloadable tool that would wipe out the authorized user’s personal data, render the smartphone inoperable to unauthorized users and prevent reactivation without the user’s permission if the device is reported lost or stolen. The “'opt-in’ proposal misses the mark if the ultimate goal is to combat street crime and violent thefts involving smartphones and tablets,” said a statement from California Sen. Mark Leno (D), sponsor of California Senate Bill 962, which would require smartphones and tablets to be disabled if reported lost or stolen (CD April 2 p14). “For stolen phones to have no resale value on the black market, the vast majority of consumers must have the theft-deterrent feature pre-enabled on their phones, using an ‘opt-out’ solution. Inexplicably, the mobile industry refuses to take this approach, which will simply prolong the epidemic of thefts we're seeing in California and the rest of the country.” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón said in a joint statement (http://bit.ly/1mcVKrw) that the commitment “falls short of what is needed to effectively end the epidemic of smartphone theft. We strongly urge CTIA and its members to make their anti-theft features enabled by default on all devices, rather than relying on consumers to opt-in. The industry also has a responsibility to protect its consumers now and not wait until next year. Every week that passes means more people are victimized in street crimes that often turn violent, and more families will have to endure the needless loss of a loved one.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who introduced legislation requiring the so-called kill switches, called the commitment “another important milestone in the fight against cell phone theft. ... We need to ensure that manufacturers and providers not only make good on this commitment but continue to take steps to make sure that all consumers have access to the most advanced technologies to protect their smartphones and personal information” (http://1.usa.gov/1m7BVUP). The CTIA press release said the commitment “will continue to protect consumers while recognizing the companies’ need to retain flexibility so they may constantly innovate.”