Voluntary agreement commits signatories to include a baseline antitheft tool on all new models of smartphones manufactured after July 2015; also requires network operators to ensure that these features are fully usable for consumers 

With cell phone thefts surging across the country, Klobuchar earlier this year introduced legislation requiring carriers to provide kill switch technology that allows consumers to wipe personally identifiable information from their device and make it inoperable to thieves

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a major push from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), wireless companies today announced a new commitment to make kill switch technology available on smartphones to help crack down on thefts and protect consumers. The voluntary agreement announced by CTIA-The Wireless Association commits signatories – which include Apple, Asurian, AT&T, Google, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon – to include a preloaded or downloadable baseline antitheft tool on all new models of smartphones manufactured after July 2015. It also requires network operators to ensure that these features are fully usable for consumers.

With cell phone thefts surging across the country, Klobuchar earlier this year introduced legislation requiring carriers to provide kill switch technology that allows consumers to wipe personally identifiable information from their device and make the device inoperable to thieves. Nearly one-in-three robberies involve cell phone theft, with criminals targeting smartphones for their high resale value and for the valuable personal and financial information they contain.

“This new commitment marks another important milestone in the fight against cell phone theft, which is putting innocent lives at risk and costing consumers more than $30 billion every year,” Klobuchar said. “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.”

The Smartphone Theft Prevention Act, which Klobuchar introduced with Senators Mikulski (D-MD), Blumenthal (D-CT), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), would require all phones sold in the United States to include kill switch type technology free of charge that would allow the consumer to wipe their personal data off the phone, render the phone permanently inoperable to anyone but the owner, and prevent it from being reactivated on a network by anyone but the owner.

The legislation is supported by the New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, founders of the Secure Our Smartphones Initiative, which is comprised of law enforcement agencies, elected leaders from across the country and consumer advocates. Additionally, the bill is supported by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs’ Association and Consumers Union.

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