California's state government is proposing to require mobile phones sold in the state to come with a mandatory remote kill-switch that could be activated if they are reported as stolen.
The theft of smartphones and other communications devices now accounts for one third of all robberies in the USA, making it the number one property crime in the country. The problem is even more prevalent in some of California's largest cities.
More than half of all robberies in San Francisco involve the theft of a mobile device, a number that goes up to 75 percent in the East Bay city of Oakland. Los Angeles also has a significant smartphone robbery problem, with reported thefts increasing 12 percent in 2012.
If approved, the new legislation, being proposed by Senator Mark Leno and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, will come into effect from the beginning of next year.
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