Prosecutors seek "kill switch" to prevent theft and "Apple picking"

apple_picking_smartphone theft judges america kill switch

To try to stop the growing number of smartphone thefts, trying to convince manufacturers to include US prosectors a "kill switch" to disable stolen mobile devices.

The New York State Attorney General Eric schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said Wednesday that they will meet on July 13 to meet with representatives of the four largest smartphone manufacturers to discuss the idea. Prosecutors plan to ask the companies to include a mechanism on disability that will make future mobiles devices useless if taken--which could eliminate the current incentive for theft and prevent smartphones are sold to other users.

The Smartphone Summit is to prevent violence that may follow the street crime of stealing phones, known as "Apple picking." When mobile devices are increasing in value, American police have seen a subsequent rise of violent theft.

In a few recent examples of violent mobile device theft on 21 February 2013, a 6-year-old boy in San Francisco was robbed at his mom's iPhone, and in February 2013, three people were stabbed on a subway platform in Queens in a fight over an iPhone. Earlier this month, a woman was robbed at gunpoint in Crown Heights for their Android device. Prosecutors say that about 50 percent of all robberies in San Francisco with a mobile device.

Although the program has been developed to track stolen smartphones, has both the Pyrenean Gascon and schneiderman criticized the company--which has secured a majority market share--not to tackle the issue sooner. On May 10, sent letters to the Chief Executives of Apple, Google/Motorola, Microsoft and Samsung are looking for information on corporate efforts to protect customers from ' Apple-picking. " These companies control over 90 percent of the market for mobile electronic devices. In response to these letters, all four tech giants agreed to participate in the Summit between the Smartphone.

Representatives from Google/Motorola, Samsung, Apple and Microsoft will participate in the meeting.

"Theft of handheld devices are the fastest growing street crime, and more and more incidents are turning violent," said justice minister Schneider. "It is time for manufacturers to be equally innovative solve this problem as they have been in the design of devices that have changed the way we live. "