Скачать или смотреть Phone 'kill switch' bill looks set to pass in California

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What's being described by some lawmakers in the United States as an epidemic of smartphone theft is likely to lead to a bill guaranteeing smartphone owners the ability to remotely disable and wipe their devices.

Proponents in California say the so-called kill switch function will become standard on all phones in the U.S. from 2015. Consumers will be able to prevent their personal information from getting into the wrong hands by rendering their handset useless in the event it is lost or stolen.

Skeptics of the plan warn hackers could exploit the wipe function and the powerful could use it to suppress free speech or political dissent.
Yet it looks likely to go ahead as Google, Apple, Samsung and Microsoft have all backed the voluntary scheme.

This is something of a turnaround for the industry, as only recently smartphone makers have been reticent to implement such technology.