Kill Switches Do More Than Protect Data

The same technology that allows mobile device owners to protect their information by wiping data or disabling a phone remotely has also decreased the overall number of reported instances of smartphone theft in the U.S., a Consumer Reports study said last week.

“Phone theft used to be a growth industry. The snatch-and-run stealing of iPhones even had its own clever moniker: Apple picking,” Consumer Reports explained. “But such thefts might be in decline.”

The organization’s research shows a decrease in the number of phones stolen by almost 1 million, reporting 2.1 million Americans had phones stolen last year, down from 3.1 million in 2013.

Although the magazine mentions a tweak in the methodology used in the most recent study, the results are still noteworthy.

Apple was an early adopter of the built-in security technology, offering the ability to shut down an iPhone to its Find My iPhone app in 2013. With the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last year, the Activation Lock became a default feature.

But for Android users, the kill switch technology has yet to make an appearance, except through downloading third-party security apps.

According to The Washington Post, kill switch supporters will look to the rollout of Android’s new Lollipop 5.1 operating system later this summer to see if the function will finally be made available.

Considering the proven success kill switches have had in deterring smartphone theft, it may make sense for the Android operating system to follow suit in adding the technology to its phones.

Earlier this year, new crime data showed a drastic decline in smartphone thefts and robberies in New York City, London and San Francisco, resulting in the leadership of all three cities calling for all phone makers to implement the kill switch feature.

The study showed the NYPD recorded a 16 percent overall drop in mobile phone robberies between January 2013 and December 2014, including a 25 percent drop in iPhone thefts. Over the same period, San Francisco saw a 27 percent decrease in cell phone robberies, and a 40 percent fall in iPhone theft specifically. And in London, the number of smartphones stolen between October 2013 and September 2014 dropped by half from the year-earlier period, although the actual number of smartphone theft incidents only dropped by 40 percent.

Despite the overwhelming data and built-in security technology, Consumer Reports said many phone owners still do an “abysmal job” of protecting their mobile devices.

“Among survey respondents, only 46 percent set a screen lock using a four-digit PIN or a stronger method such as a lengthy password or fingerprint,” the magazine confirmed.

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