As state and federal lawmakers continue to debate and wrangle over how best to protect smartphones from thieves, one state has moved forward and enacted the first kill switch in the nation.
On Wednesday Minnesota signed into law a bill that mandates smartphones feature a kill switch that will let users or telecom providers disable the device if it is stolen or lost.
"This law will help combat the growing number of violent cell phone thefts in Minnesota," said Gov. Mark Dayton. The law goes into effect July 1, 2015. It requires any smartphone sold or bought in the state to feature kill switch.
Minnesota moved forward given a rash of device thefts at the University of Minnesota, where campus officials claim smartphone thefts accounts for nearly 62 percent of on-campus robberies. As reported in Tech Times, 3.1 million Americans were subjected to smartphone robbery in 2013.
A new study reveals that not only do the majority of smartphone owners support the idea, but a kill switcTh mandate could save consumers as much as $2.6 billion each year.
The Minnesota law does not state specifically how that kill switch should be provided, though, and that aspect is exactly why many other states and federal agencies haven't moved forward on such a requirement.
Advocates believe the handset should feature the technology, but whether that cost should be on handset makers or telecom services providers is a hot debate.
Some say laws like Minnesota's don't really do much of anything as a national coalition is already working to create anti-theft software for smartphones that would remotely clean and shut down a device from unauthorized users. They also contend that such state laws throttle smartphone development and innovation.
One telecom expert went as far as to call the Minnesota law "absolutely moronic" as providers can shut down a phone anytime.
