U.S giant network carriers have rejected Samsung’s “kill switch” feature which can protect stolen smartphones. The carriers reasoned that the feature will make the device more vulnerable to hackers.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), one of three reported theft cases in the U.S includes stolen smartphones. Because of this, New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman and other law enforcement authorities insist that smartphone manufacturers should create kill switches to fight increasing smartphone theft cases in the country.
The Korean smartphone maker proposed “kill switch,” an anti-theft feature that would cause stolen or lost smartphones inoperable, to support the federal request.
However, Gascon told the Associated Press that network carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile US Inc., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Corp., and the U.S Cellular Corp. have rejected Samsung’s proposal saying that the kill switch feature isn’t the apt solution for the increasing smartphone theft problems because it could permit Internet felons or hackers to deactivate someone’s smartphone.
Last July, Samsung officials told the San Francisco district attorney’s office that network carriers resisted kill switches. They even had pre-installed kill switch in some of their smartphones which were good to go for shipment, but, network carriers ordered their elimination as a standard feature.
Prosecutors studied the e-mails between a software developer and a senior vice president of Samsung about the matter and Gascon said, “These emails suggest that the carriers are rejecting a technological solution so they can continue to shake down their customers for billions of dollars in (theft) insurance premiums.” He added, “I'm incensed. ... This is a solution that has the potential to end the victimization of their customers.”
Despite rejections received from carriers, a Samsung spokesperson said, “We are working with the leaders of the Secure Our Smartphones (SOS) Initiative to incorporate the perspective of law enforcement agencies. We will continue to work with them and our wireless carrier partners toward our common goal of stopping smartphone theft.”
Even though Samsung Galaxy smartphones are shipped across the country without LoJack as a standard feature, users can pay a subscription fee for the security service.
