At last! Every new smartphone sold in America will have ‘kill switch’ to stop it being used by thieves, pledge phone makers

System protects users' personal information if phones are lost or stolen

Also sends special text message to the devices to render them useless

'Kill switch' will become standard by 2015, according to makers' pledge

Backed by Apple, Google and Samsung, as well as leading cell carriers



Pledge: Every new smartphone sold in America will have a 'kill switch' to prevent it from being used by thieves, phone makers have pledged

Every new smartphone sold in America will have a 'kill switch' to prevent it from being used by thieves, phone makers have pledged.



The system, which protects users' personal information and renders phone useless if they are lost or stolen, could become standard by 2015.



It has been backed by Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft - along with leading mobile device carriers in the U.S..



The companies have signed on to a voluntary programme, called 'Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment, launched by CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group for wireless providers.



In doing so, they have agreed to provide a free preloaded or downloadable anti-theft tool on all smartphones sold in America after July 2015.

Users' options will include remotely removing a smartphone's data and preventing reactivation if a phone is stolen or lost, the trade group said.



At present, a consumer has to report a stolen smartphone to a carrier and request to have it disabled.

They also have to either install tracking apps or rely on manufacturers to offer remote-kill features built into their operating systems.

But with a 'kill switch' installed, a special text message could be sent to the phone which would render it useless.



Surprisingly, the pledge has been backed by law enforcement and elected officials, who have previously warned that putting a permanent 'kill switch' on phones has serious risks, such as the potential for hackers to activate it.



However, they are now encouraging phone markers to implement the system in a bid to combat surging smartphone thefts across America.

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Theft: The system, which renders phone useless if they are lost or stolen, would become standard by 2015. It has been backed by Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft - along with leading cellular carriers in the U.S.

Pleased: The companies have signed on to a voluntary programme launched by trade group CTIA-The Wireless Association. CEO Steve Largent (pictured) said he 'appreciated' manufacturers' response to the programme

The pledge may place pressure on mobile device manufacturers in other countries - such as Britain, where phone theft is also high - to adopt the system.



In a statement, CTIA chief executive, Steve Largent, said he 'appreciated' manufacturers' response to the voluntary programme.

'We appreciate the commitment made by these companies to protect wireless users in the event their smartphones are lost or stolen,' he said.



WHAT IS A 'KILL SWITCH'? A ‘kill switch’ is a system for remotely disabling smartphones and wiping their data. All personal information - such as contacts, photos and emails - will be deleted and the phone rendered useless. However, emergency services and pre-programmed emergency numbers will remain accessible under current law. Once the phone is back in the hands of its rightful owner, its previous settings and data will be restored ‘to the extent feasible.’ The system will become standard in 2015, according to a pledge backed by most of the mobile world's major players. Currently, a consumer has to report a stolen smartphone to a carrier and request to have it disabled. They also have to either install tracking apps or rely on manufacturers to offer remote-kill features built into their operating systems. With a kill switch installed, a special text message could be sent to the phone which would render it useless. Some campaigners are calling for preloaded kill switch software on every smartphone rather than leaving it up to individual manufacturers and carriers. However, a major concern is that a kill switch would be an attractive target to hackers who could find out the special message and disable a phone remotely.

This is a particular risk for people who work in defence or law enforcement agencies, say opponents of the plan.



'This flexibility provides consumers with access to the best features and apps that fit their unique needs while protecting their smartphones and the valuable information they contain.

'At the same time, it's important different technologies are available so that a "trap door" isn't created that could be exploited by hackers and criminals.'

Other smartphone makers to have signed the pledge include HTC, Motorola and Nokia - as well as cellular carriers Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc, U.S. Cellular Corp, Spring Corp and T-Mobile, according to CNN.

It comes nearly two weeks after Samsung announced that it had added two anti-theft features, 'Find My Mobile' and 'Reactivation Lock' to its recently released Galaxy S5 smartphone.

Apple created a similar 'Activation Lock' feature for the popular iPhone last year and has offered a free tool called 'Find My iPhone'.

Almost one in three robberies in the U.S. involve phone theft, according to the Federal Communications Commission.



Lost and stolen mobile devices - mostly smartphones - cost consumers more than $30billion in 2012, the agency said in a study.

Earlier this month, California legislators introduced a bill that, if passed, would require mobile devices sold in or shipped to the state be equipped with the anti-theft devices, from next year.

Similar legislation is being considered in New York, Illinois and Minnesota, and bills have been introduced in both houses of Congress.

San Francisco District Attorney, George Gascon, and New York State Attorney, General Eric Schneiderman, have given manufacturers a June deadline to find solutions to curb smartphone theft.

They said in a joint statement today CTIA's plan is 'a welcomed step', but still falls short of ending smartphone theft because the measures will rely on consumers to seek out and turn on the technology.

'This approach is a losing strategy, and that's why this commitment falls short of what American wireless consumers need to effectively end the epidemic of smartphone theft,' added Mr Gascon.



Security measures: It comes weeks after Samsung announced that it had added two anti-theft features to its Galaxy S5 smartphone (left). Apple created a similar anti-theft feature for the popular iPhone (right) last year



But Jeff Kagan, a longtime tech analyst in Atlanta, said the wireless industry's commitment may be the closest to solving the smartphone theft problem.

He believes leading manufacturers signed on to the programme because they noticed the U.S. government is in the process of making sweeping changes.

'I'm sure there will be a lot of back and forth, but this is the next natural step,' he said.

