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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Several state and city law enforcement officials are teaming up to launch an investigation on why smartphone manufacturers including Apple have not done more to combat device thefts, reports the Huffington Post.

The investigation will be conducted by attorneys general in six different states along with district attorneys and police officials from eight additional cities. Included in the group are New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman who previously called for a summit with several smartphone manufacturers to discuss device theft and San Francisco district attorney George Gascón, who has been pushing for a "kill switch" that would permanently disable stolen iOS devices
The group intends to probe why Apple and other smartphone makers have failed to create a so-called "kill switch" that would render their devices inoperable if stolen - a feature that could undercut the value of stolen gadgets now trading on a global black market. The officials also plan to investigate whether smartphone manufacturers have not adopted effective anti-theft measures out of simple financial interest - a stolen phone generates new business as crime victims buy replacements.
On Monday, Apple announced anti-theft plans for an "Activation Lock" feature in iOS 7, which is designed to require an Apple ID and a password to disable Find My iPhone or to reactivate a phone if it is wiped.

Though the implementation of the Activation Lock will likely cut down on thefts, Schneiderman and Gascón believe that it is ultimately inadequate as a kill switch because it requires customers to utilize both iCloud and the Find My iPhone app.

Gascón and Schneiderman will be meeting with representatives from Apple, Samsung, Google, and Microsoft on Thursday to discuss a possible solution, as part of the aforementioned summit. If the companies fail to come to a suitable agreement with officials, a source close to Schneiderman believes that a lawsuit may be considered in the future.

Article Link: State and City Officials to Investigate Anti-Theft Practices of Cellphone Makers Following Summit
 

MonstaMash

macrumors regular
Dec 24, 2011
205
82
I think that they fail to realize why Apple's Activation Lock is a brilliant solution for both consumers and carriers alike. It's easy to setup, activate and remove.

I wish they proposed better ideas instead of just rejecting them.
 

512ke

macrumors 6502a
Sep 10, 2003
577
186
I kind of get government's reaction to the very real problem of phone theft, but at the same time, is it really the manufacturer's problem if your stuff gets stolen?

Why single out phones? Will cars also be demanded to require kill switches? What about smart watches? Or regular watches? Or MacBook Airs?
 

lostngone

macrumors 65816
Aug 11, 2003
1,431
3,804
Anchorage
We always have to blame the other guy. Unless the phone explodes you are still going to have after market phone chop shops for the parts.

This isn't a manufacturer issue. How about you go after the criminals?!?!
 

LachlanH

macrumors regular
Oct 5, 2011
158
7
How is it the fault of the phone carriers/makers that phone thefts are high? Sure it's nice when they do implement anti-theft technologies but at no point should they be 'investigated' for not doing so.

Why not investigate car manufactures for making cars that can potentially do double or even triple the speed limit? It's clearly their fault so many people get charged with speeding wasting police time right?
 

twoslick

macrumors newbie
Jan 2, 2010
12
1
While I like the idea of the kill switch, and hope it is implemented well, I'm sick of "officials" whining about products they've had no part in creating. If they want these things so bad, why don't they create their own companies and do these things the way they want?

I'm just getting sick of this society where people think that spending more time protesting other people's work is more beneficial than actually doing their own work to make the world a better place. Get out there and actually make something "officials"!!
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601
I kind of get government's reaction to the very real problem of phone theft, but at the same time, is it really the manufacturer's problem if your stuff gets stolen?.....

We always have to blame the other guy. Unless the phone explodes you are still going to have after market phone chop shops for the parts. This isn't a manafactur issuse. How about you go after the criminals?!?!

Easier to go after those manufacturers, plain and simple. But it is definitely possible, technology-wise, to make this crime all but disappear, or at least make it pointless, if the will was there. The manufacturers need a little push from above.
 

mozumder

macrumors 65816
Mar 9, 2009
1,275
4,397
I kind of get government's reaction to the very real problem of phone theft, but at the same time, is it really the manufacturer's problem if your stuff gets stolen?

Why single out phones? Will cars also be demanded to require kill switches? What about smart watches? Or regular watches? Or MacBook Airs?

Government is responsible for systematic disorders of society, not individuals.

You cannot fix systematic problems individually.
 

Peace

Cancelled
Apr 1, 2005
19,546
4,556
Space The Only Frontier
Easier to go after those manufacturers, plain and simple. But it is definitely possible, technology-wise, to make this crime all but disappear, or at least make it pointless, if the will was there. The manufacturers need a little push from above.

Here's an easier,less intrusive,less costly and more responsible way to cut down on cellphone thefts.

Don't leave the darn thing laying around for someone to snatch up.
 

lostngone

macrumors 65816
Aug 11, 2003
1,431
3,804
Anchorage
Easier to go after those manufacturers, plain and simple. But it is definitely possible, technology-wise, to make this crime all but disappear, or at least make it pointless, if the will was there. The manufacturers need a little push from above.


I do not want a federally mandated kill switch in my phone! It is bad enough they are monitoring everything.
Like I said before, even with a kill switch the criminals are just going to part the phone out and sell all the other parts in the phone other then the main board.
 

Moongrass

macrumors newbie
Nov 5, 2012
18
0
I hear the next step already in the works is a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of provocative clothing, because their products are seen to directly contribute to the number of sexual assaults committed against women. :p
 

chrismarle

macrumors 6502
Jun 18, 2011
372
3
Canada
Oh yeah, they are right! It doesn't make any sense that we would have to use Apple's tools to protect ourselves from thieves. We should probably just get some glue and stick it in our hand!

/s

Honestly, I prefer Apple's solution than their dumb idea of bricking stolen devices. Hell, if with Apple I can find mine with or without police's help, why on earth would I simply brick my phone and lose it for good?
 

ConCat

macrumors 6502a
Are we able to implement a kill switch on lawyers?

If killing lawyers wasn't a crime, there'd be a lot of dead lawyers. :rolleyes: On-topic: Isn't theft something that law enforcement is supposed to deal with or am I being ridiculous? Sure, Apple could implement a kill-switch, but that would be abusable. Imagine a hacker gaining access to this feature and somehow bricking iPhones around the globe, or even on a small scale. Forget iPhones, Android phones too. A kill-switch like this would seem to be too risky... Just hunt the guys down and throw them in jail like good government officials and leave the job creators alone please.
 

whoknows87

macrumors 6502a
Aug 8, 2012
676
31
S.Florida
Just use Find my iPhone or Find my Android within minutes of realizing crap where is my phone...., but really don' these guys have better things to do :D, it's not that hard if your device is stolen , black list it... done
 

3282868

macrumors 603
Jan 8, 2009
5,281
0
Simple: business. Companies do just enough to convince consumers they're helping, yet count on sales bumps for replacements phones. If they didn't, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot.

Is it moral? No. It's just business.
 

HiRez

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
6,250
2,576
Western US
They need to go after wallet and purse manufacturers, because they don't prevent your wallets and purses being stolen.
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,541
1,653
Redondo Beach, California
What a bunch of whiners. Don't they have anything better to do?

They were all elected to reduce crime. iPhone theft are one of the fastest raising crimes. Forcing some kind of anti-theft device is what they were elected to do.

The cell phone makers really do NOT want this because they make money from theft when someone has to replace a phone.
 

donutbagel

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2013
932
1
Can't you just wipe the thing in DFU mode if it's locked? How would Activation Lock help?

My dad lost his iPhone 5 in a taxi. He saw it fly somewhere on Find My iPhone. There's a stolen iPhone HQ in China. Too bad there's no "bomb" option on Find My iPhone.
 
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3282868

macrumors 603
Jan 8, 2009
5,281
0
They were all elected to reduce crime. iPhone theft are one of the fastest raising crimes. Forcing some kind of anti-theft device is what they were elected to do.

The cell phone makers really do NOT want this because they make money from theft when someone has to replace a phone.

^This. Absolutely, 100% spot on.

Living in NY, it wasn't long ago that crime rates went up on iPods then iPhones simply by the white headsets people wore. A friend who's a cop showed me some stat's as I thought the city was FOS, I was wrong. Eventually the media told people to hide their white earbuds or use different ones so they'll be less likely to target. Like it or not, Apple made mobile devices even more popular. A lot of people have been seriously hurt from someone physically assaulting them for their mobile device, most jouncing for their next hit and needing the cash. So it's not just about the device, it's about the people being targeted. Ironic as Apple marketing decided white earbuds would be an Apple trademark, it certainly is now.
 
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bretm

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2002
1,951
27
You elected this kind of cradle to grave dogma. A little health care here, bailouts over there, and suddenly EVERYTHING is their freakin business, when in fact, very little should be the responsibility of the federal govt.
 
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