What Does a Kill Switch Do?
To be brief, a cellular kill switch is a mechanism used to disable a phone through hardware or software in such a way that renders it unusable for any normal purpose (other than a paperweight). For smartphones, the situation is a bit more nuanced. Is it enough to just cut off access to cellular networks by blacklisting its IMEI number? Since smartphones also have access to Wi-Fi, simply cutting them off from cellular terrestrial networks only gets rid of half of their usability. Kill-switches must be more active. Certain pieces of software – such as Avast!, Lookout, and Prey – allow users to lock their phones in such a way that they are completely useless. The premise behind kill switches, which you may have already gathered from context, is to disable a phone in the event that it is stolen, making it valueless to the thief. Thieves not only want your physical device, but they also want to access your data so that they can extract value (through hacking your PayPal, home banking, etc.) from it. Locking your phone not only turns it into a brick (in a worst-case scenario); it also wipes your data completely.
Are Kill Switches Effective?
Yes, they are! When phones have kill switches, theft declines as a result. Apple has added a kill switch to devices in September 2013, and theft has dropped in the areas where the company’s market share is higher (San Fransisco, New York, and London). While the issue needs to be studied more closely, the kill switches installed by Apple are promising, and exemplary for other manufacturers.
Why Does The Government Want In?
To some people heavily involved in the tech space, it is somewhat surprising that the government actually wants to mandate kill switches on smartphones. Certain figures, like San Francisco DA George Gascon have championed laws to obligate manufacturers and carriers to install kill switches, citing the 40 percent drop in theft in his city from Apple’s decision in 2013. Some fear that this will allow the government to have more authority over the data autonomy of its citizens. The proponents of “kill switch laws” are touting the benefits of such a thing, saying that it would curb theft significantly. This isn’t a lie, but are we ready to hand over the authority on what hardware or software is installed in our phones to the state? You can technically install your own kill switch if you wish (for free) by downloading the software that allows you to do it. Android even has a device manager that you can use through your Google account that lets you achieve the same result. What do you think? Should we side with the government and enforce a legal obligation for our phones to include kill switches? Tell us in a comment!
