California Law Now Requires All Smartphones to Have Built-In Kill Switches By July 2015

[Supraking]

This IS local government/police doing something about it, it's called prevention...if you make it pointless to steal ALL phones then crime reduces.

A thief doesn't care or know what phone you have when they demand it, they find that out later...if they know all phones are going to be useless it's less likely that they're going to steal any phones

Yes you're right, they're preventing more phones from being stolen thanks to the law. But with the law, they aren't doing the work that causes the prevention of cell phone being stolen. They are just passing the work to manufacturers and forcing them to do it.

 

[0007776]

Has Activation Lock actually done much to discourage people from stealing iPhones, or has it just made it so that they sell them and the buyer has to deal with the activation lock?

 

[CelestialToys]

Yes you're right, they're preventing more phones from being stolen thanks to the law. But with the law, they aren't doing the work that causes the prevention of cell phone being stolen. They are just passing the work to manufacturers and forcing them to do it.

That's the only way to do it, apart from hiring enough police officers to have several on every street just looking out for phone thieves. I for one don't want to pay anymore taxes to fund that, whereas the costs of implementing such a feature on phones is tiny for the manufacturer and negligible once passed on to the consumer.

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Has Activation Lock actually done much to discourage people from stealing iPhones, or has it just made it so that they sell them and the buyer has to deal with the activation lock?

20-40% reduction in iphone thefts in the first 5 months after ios7 launched

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That's like saying the local government is doing their job in decreasing drug use because they passed a law forcing all citizen to report drug dealers that they know.

No, it's more like saying the government is saving more lives because they legislated on automobile build quality / safety features

 

[ArcaneDevice]

Yes you're right, they're preventing more phones from being stolen thanks to the law. But with the law, they aren't doing the work that causes the prevention of cell phone being stolen. They are just passing the work to manufacturers and forcing them to do it.

And that's a problem why?

Do you think airlines should not bother with reinforced cockpit doors? Automobile manufacturers not bother with airbags? Consumer electronics not adhere to manufacturing safety regulations? Industrial machinery not bother with safety devices? etc. etc.

All those things could be prevented by having an inspector wandering around checking something or an officer constantly on duty to make sure that people don't get injured. It's kind of convenient that manufacturers bother to give a crap on our behalf now though isn't it?

In twenty years when a new generation is using phones they'll probably be looking back and wondering why this stuff wasn't there to begin with. Kind of like people are slightly amazed that twenty years ago anyone could wander into a cockpit of an airplane. But that wasn't a big deal, really was it? Nobody ever got hijacked more than a few times a year.

 

[Supraking]

That's the only way to do it, apart from hiring enough police officers to have several on every street just looking out for phone thieves. I for one don't want to pay anymore taxes to fund that, whereas the costs of implementing such a feature on phones is tiny for the manufacturer and negligible once passed on to the consumer.

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20-40% reduction in iphone thefts in the first 5 months after ios7 launched

So you'll be okay if the local government pass a law forcing you to report any drug/suspicious dealer you know in order for them to decrease drug use in your city? Making you go through all that hassle of reporting someone or holding you accountable for someone else action.

 

[AxoNeuron]

IF I was an auto executive I would remove all of my products from California.

I would encourage all other auto manufacturers to do the same.

Why do all US customers have to pay for the extra California emission tests and burdensome regulations?

Let them live like Castro's Cuba without new cars.

Toyota is moving it's HQ from California currently.

California wants clean energy - let them create their own energy --- they import 50% from out of state.

California is a disaster of the first degree - sure they have tech companies, but they rely upon the resources of other states.

The State House and Legislature is slipping towards Gomorrah faster than ever could have been imagined a decade ago.

I do not travel to California - my money is better spent elsewhere.

Why is the iTunes Store located in Nevada? So California cannot tax it excessively.

Once California fails from it's idiotic progressive/socialist/communist leaders, perhaps there will be a hope for it's future.

It will fail, dramatically, first.

You keep saying these words and utterances as if they're facts, yet I am just not seeing any actual proof behind it. If anything is going to ruin California it's going to be drought. Economically, California is doing way better than most of the US

In fact, left-leaning politically progressive states tend to do WAY better economically than right-wing Republican voting states. It is a well known fact that republican states tend to be poorer, less educated, and more religious than democrat voting states.

Even more damning is the fact that it's the REPUBLICAN states that tend to get far more federal aid per person than democrat majority states compared to what they put in. So much for "small government"

So yeah, hate on California all you want. But economically, California generates a huge amount of money each year and puts more in to the federal government than it gets back, while Mississippi gets far more money from the Federal government than it puts in.

 

[CelestialToys]

So you'll be okay if the local government pass a law forcing you to report any drug/suspicious dealer you know in order for them to decrease drug use in your city? Making you go through all that hassle of reporting someone or holding you accountable for someone else action.

That is a really poor analogy...

It's not even slightly analogous to what is going on here.

 

[C DM]

They can disable my phone service, today yes. But they cannot disable my entire smart phone. My phone provide considerably more functionality than that, everything from contacts, to SMS, Skype and other voip features.

Today it may not be the case but, imagine if they extend this to cover tablets and other mobile. Once the law is passed its easy to change. Removing one section (22761.B) changes the game entirely.




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As I explained in another response, yes the PUC can disable my phone service today, but this is a kill switch that disabled the entire device. My smart phone is a lot more than a phone. I am not wrong. You merely miss the point.

So even if they could enable Activation Lock for the phone somehow you can then unlock it with your Apple ID, as I mentioned before. Doesn't seem like anyone would be locked out of their own devices.

 

[Dilster3k]

Sounds cool, I guess.

 

[bushido]

lol why is California so hated among americans? didnt even know that was a thing. jealous over the constant sun and beautiful beaches?


anyway ... this might make things just worse. Instead of "just" getting your phone stolen, they will now threat you with your life if you do not give them your iCloud password / Google password etc. I can totally see that happening at la rambla in barcelona for example while the police just stands there next to them going like "ayayay dios mio look at those stupid tourists jajaja"

 

[C DM]

lol why is California so hated among americans? didnt even know that was a thing. jealous over the constant sun and beautiful beaches?


anyway ... this might make things just worse. Instead of "just" getting your phone stolen, they will now threat you with your life if you do not give them your iCloud password / Google password etc. I can totally see that happening at la rambla in barcelona for example while the police just stands there next to them going like "ayayay dios mio look at those stupid tourists jajaja"

Well, this has already been out there for about a year with iOS devices in the form of Activation Lock.

 

[draugminaion]

so instead of:

*gimme your phone or I'll shoot your face*

it's

*put your finger on the home button, goto settings, turn off find my iPhone then gimme your phone or I'll shoot your face*
*HURRY UP*
*too slow, *BANG**

Yeah, but, thugs that are smart enough to think of that can make more money in other ways.

 

[sillypooh]

A year from now...

... a widespread malware, using a recently discovered hack, has affected more than 100,000 users, bricking their newly purchased iPhone 7. Angry mobs are seen attacking Apple store throughout the country...

 

[C DM]

... a widespread malware, using a recently discovered hack, has affected more than 100,000 users, bricking their newly purchased iPhone 7. Angry mobs are seen attacking Apple store throughout the country...

That happened on the last year that Activation Lock has been around?

 

[H2SO4]

A state full of nut jobs, hippies and artsy fartsies.

Why is it such a big issue now, and then why were laptops never given kill switches by M$ once they got a net connection?
Long before the smart phone hit the streets loads of those things were stolen, are stolen and will still be stolen.

Knees and jerks!

 

[Cod3rror]

In Brazil burglars already ask for iCloud password, so they can disable this.

That's MUCH worse than losing just the phone. Cause you're giving away your Apple ID. You can have applications worth more than two iPhones, important documents, backups, etc...

 

[wizard]

It is dirt simple, the law is stupid and defeatist.

The answer is to deal with violent criminals, trials and executions, not to burden the general populace with more regulation. You don't burden the general populace with oppressive regulation to deal with the criminal element in a free society.

Sadly it is just another example of leftist ideology where bad behavior is tolerated at the expense of the common people.

I'm amazed that there are already so many sarcastic responses to this news article less than two minutes after it was posted. There is absolutely no way on Earth that this was properly read in time to make those types of reactions.

Why, oh why, must everyone complain and whine about everything, especially without even fully understanding what he/she is complaining about?

 

[bazinga!!]

And this thread shows why we Europeans think of the majority of Americans as being... well... stupid.

 

[SoAnyway]

You keep saying these words and utterances as if they're facts, yet I am just not seeing any actual proof behind it. If anything is going to ruin California it's going to be drought. Economically, California is doing way better than most of the US

In fact, left-leaning politically progressive states tend to do WAY better economically than right-wing Republican voting states. It is a well known fact that republican states tend to be poorer, less educated, and more religious than democrat voting states.

Image

Even more damning is the fact that it's the REPUBLICAN states that tend to get far more federal aid per person than democrat majority states compared to what they put in. So much for "small government"

So yeah, hate on California all you want. But economically, California generates a huge amount of money each year and puts more in to the federal government than it gets back, while Mississippi gets far more money from the Federal government than it puts in.

Facts be damned!

You need to keep in mind that the Conservativille motto is "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength."

It makes no difference if you throw cold hard undeniable facts at them, they will believe the opposite because of the ideology they hold onto so dearly.

That chart you reference is a perfect example of this and another good one is how they kept believing there were WMDs after it was found that there weren't any to begin with.

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And this thread shows why we Europeans think of the majority of Americans as being... well... stupid.

Please accept my apologies on behalf of the idiocy shown by my California hating brethren. They're far too invested in their ideology and don't know any better.

 

[apfeljonas]

With each new law like this there is actually extra "new" money spent, so this doesn't justify anything. The way state government's work is that if there is any money left over from anything they have to waste it quick by buying things like new chairs, desks, computers, etc even if they don't need the crap. If they don't spend all of their federal grant money each year they won't get the full amount next year. It is a horrible system but it is the way it is. Not saying I like it.

Anyone who thinks that the state has the money to do this, or that is fooling themselves. Each new idea/law requires "new" money. The only way around this is to charge fees to the companies submitting for certification. If they do this then you can be sure those companies will pass the cost directly onto the consumer.

I doubt this law costs any substantial amount of money. The state won't pay for anything related to creating "kill switch" software, and enforcement is easy. This law will likely save a lot of money since less time is wasted at police stations because of theft reports and trying to catch smartphone thieves.

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The answer is to deal with violent criminals, trials and executions, not to burden the general populace with more regulation. You don't burden the general populace with oppressive regulation to deal with the criminal element in a free society.

Sadly it is just another example of leftist ideology where bad behavior is tolerated at the expense of the common people.

What is so bad about this law? Nothing, it adds no burden to your life. It really makes it simpler to shop for smartphones since you won't have to worry about theft deterrence features being included.

 

[Ray2]

"The anti-theft tools must be installed during the phone's initial setup process, and it must be reversible so an authorized user can unlock the device if it is returned to their possession."

One or two days before this feature is hacked?

 

[bushido]

Activation Lock can already be by passed using "doulCi" btw. didnt know about that tool either up until a few mins ago

 

[RightMACatU]

"...which is fueling street crime and violence within our communities."

Spoken like a true politician

 

[miamialley]

I had my iPad stolen several months back now; it took several weeks but the iPad did turn on.... I saw it's location, the police went knocked on the door...no one answered (obviously). The iPad since then hasn't turned back on, so I am left with 2 options really.... either the thief threw it away.... or still has it so I go over and check myself; which could totally be dangerous OR I simply have to accept that it is gone. It's on the lost list for it's cellular carrier so it can't be reactivated... sucks really miss having my iPad but can't afford a new one.

How'd it get stolen?

 

[willmtaylor]

Reading this thread just knocked 10 points off my IQ.

Me too, which unfortunately leaves me in the negative.