Is “death switch” something for us? – ITavisen.no

Comment: California law shall destroy mobile thefts.

Tuesday, 26 August 2014 – 1:20 p.m.

Both Android and Apple phones can be deactivated by the user (see this article). Similar solutions are also available for Windows Phone.

All come with
But that’s just the iPhone that has built a so-called “kill switch” that turns your phone temporarily unusable remotely . All other apps that just locks the phone superficial. But both Google and Microsoft are headed with similar systems.

Meanwhile, traditional fighting cocks Samsung and Apple for once agreed. Recently, they made an agreement on a common barrier system.

New Law in California
In California signed a night Norwegian time Gov. Jerry Brown a state that does effektv remote interlock mandatory for all phones to be sold in the state.

In Minnesota, they already have a similar law, but without the requirement that kill feature to be turned on (one may ask whether the law then has no meaning).

Should ease the workload
California law has come after the claims of the police, who have had so much to do to solve mobile thefts that they barely have time for the really serious crimes.

As you know it is so in the United States that local police chiefs (sheriffs) are selected. Seems most people they do not rivers, they will not have a job anymore. Thus, it is actually important to solve everyday crime, not only to go after the Norwegian police like to call “the big fish” and “perpetrators.”

California police both at the state and municipal level, hoping that required remote Disabling will make it less attractive to steal mobile phones, and that the market for handling stolen goods and reselling will shrivel.

Vanishing get clarifications
In this country we have seen single earner ( which unfortunately are not representative – only 1.8 percent of all mobile thefts in Norway was solved in 2013) where the police using the “Find My iPhone” has quickly managed to find the thief and bring the phone back to the rightful owner.

That’s fine, but it goes without saying that police pressure areas not normally have the capacity to take away all such cases, no matter how simple they are to fix.

Thinking preventive
Therefore, we may have in this country thought preventively.

What we like California introduced compulsory, remote lock? Would we then experience a dramatic decline in mobile thefts, simply because there is no point in stealing them more?

did not work
Previously we have seen how IMEI-lock system (barring telephone electronic serial number) has fallen in fish because it only works in some countries.

Most people are quick to block the subscription when the phone is astray, but does not help large. There is no free phone calls to distant lands mobile thieves are after longer (also increases the risk of disclosure). Selling goods on the black market is much more lucrative.

can be abused
About a death button to be effective, it must be hard to get around to hackers. We must also guard against it can be abused, either by criminals or by the authorities.

Just lately has been a major topic of discussion in the United States in connection with California law. Parental control is actually available to the police if they have a court order.

Drømmevektøy for PST
But what happens if federal monitoring agencies such as the NSA, CIA or Homeland Security to access? These agencies invoke the Patriot Act, anti-terrorism law that has been shown to override both state laws and the civil rule of law at the federal level.

Here at home we feel today might reasonably confident that PST will not be able to abuse Remote mobile lock and / or the possibility of other remote manipulation. Assuming that Parliament does not give them the powerful extended powers they ask for.

Any good suggestions
matter: With a doubling of the number of mobile thefts in Norway in recent years speaks we request a formidable problem for ordinary Norwegian citizens.

Any suggestions for good solutions therefore are welcomed, even if they come from distant California, which sometimes introduce laws that seen with Norwegian eyes may appear as weird.