California has become the first state to require smartphones to have kill switches.
The new legislation was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday, ending the long battle between lawmakers and representatives of the smartphone industry.
The new law requires all smartphone makers to include anti-theft features on devices manufactured after July 1, 2015. The anti-theft feature, also called a "kill switch," will make the device unusable once stolen. Owners of the smartphone can deactivate the device from a remote location. This technology already exists, but this new law will require this to be a standard feature on all phones. Users who don't like the feature can deactivate it anytime through the security option.
"California has just put smartphone thieves on notice," state Sen. Mark Leno, the bill's co-author, told Mercury News. "Our efforts will effectively wipe out the incentive to steal smartphones and curb this crime of convenience, which is fueling street crime and violence within our communities."
Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner considered the signature of the governor as a positive step towards upholding consumer safety. She pushed for the bill to lessen the incidence of theft, as well as the unnecessary violence related to stolen smartphones.
"Soon, stealing a smartphone won't be worth the trouble, and these violent street crimes will be a thing of the past," San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement, quoted by the New York Times. "The devices we use every day will no longer make us targets for violent criminals."
Consumer Reports revealed that smartphone theft cases in the United States doubled between 2012 and 2013, with 3.1 million reported cases. Most of these occurred in the Bay Area, accounting to 75 percent of all reported robberies and theft.
Major companies operating within the state expressed their support and willingness to comply with the new bill.
