Madigan calls on smartphone manufacturers to create 'kill switch' to
deter theft
Attorney
general joins national coalition to address spike in cellphone
thefts, urges manufacturers and wireless carriers to act
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[June 15, 2013]
CHICAGO -- Attorney General Lisa
Madigan is calling on smartphone manufacturers to develop a
so-called kill switch to render the devices inoperable if they are
stolen. This move by the manufacturers would make stolen smartphones
worthless on the secondary market and would deter thefts, or "apple
picking" as the crime is commonly known.
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Madigan's office joined New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman,
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, and a number of other
state attorneys general, district attorneys, major city police
chiefs, state and city comptrollers, public safety activists, and
consumer advocates from around the country at a summit Thursday with
four major smart phone manufacturers: Apple, Google/Motorola,
Microsoft and Samsung.
Madigan noted that smartphone thefts have increased in recent
years, in some cases turning extremely violent and deadly. According
to the Federal Communications Commission, cellphone thefts comprise
between 30 and 40 percent of all robberies nationwide. In 2012, 1.6
million Americans were victimized in incidents related to cellphone
thefts. In one case, 23-year-old Megan Boken, a Wheaton native, was
shot and killed in St. Louis by two men attempting a robbery.
There has been an increase of more than 30 percent in mobile
phone thefts at public transit locations in Chicago in recent years.
In fact, just last month, Chicago police arrested a man who was
responsible for at least four smartphone thefts on the Chicago
Transit Authority lines, in some cases at gunpoint. Tragically, in
2011, a 17-year-old boy stole a smartphone at the Fullerton El
station in Chicago and upon fleeing the station, pushed 68-year-old
Sally Katona-King down the stairs. Katona-King later died from
injuries sustained in the fall. The perpetrator recently was
sentenced to 32 years in prison for murder and robbery.
"The growing number of violent crimes and senseless deaths
connected to smartphone thefts demonstrate just how serious a
problem this is in our communities," Madigan said. "We must stop
these crimes, and it is imperative that manufacturers and wireless
carriers are part of the solution."
The national coalition of law enforcement agencies, public safety
and consumer advocates will analyze patterns, causes and trends
behind the growing crimes and work with device manufacturers to urge
them to develop a "kill switch" as a standard feature of their
products. That feature would allow a manufacturer to remotely
disable a phone if it is stolen, so the device cannot be
reactivated.
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Madigan also offered the following tips for smartphone users to
consider in keeping their devices and personal information secure:
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Consider adding
password protection to your phone.
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Choose an app to
place on your phone to remove your personal information if your
phone is lost or stolen, so thieves don't have access to your
pictures, contact information, email messages and other personal
information.
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Keep your
smartphone close to you and be aware of your surroundings in
public places, such as public transportation, stores and
sidewalks.
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If you have
information on your phone that you would not want to lose if it
is stolen, such as pictures, back up the information by saving
it to a computer, memory card or cloud service.
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Store your smartphone in a secure place
when you aren't using it.
[Text from file received from the office
of
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan]
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