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Smartphone Kill-Switch Could Save Consumers $2.6 Billion
itwbennett (1594911) writes "Creighton University professor William Duckworth has released a report finding that kill-switch technology that remotely makes a stolen smartphone useless could save American consumers up to $2.6 billion per year — mostly from reduced insurance premiums. Duckworth estimated that Americans currently spend around $580 million replacing stolen phones each year and $4.8 billion paying for handset insurance. If a kill-switch led to a sharp reduction in theft of phones, most of the $580 million spent on replacing stolen phones would be saved. And a further $2 billion in savings could be realized by switching to cheaper insurance plans that don't cover theft."
A stolen phone is an opportunity to sell a replacement - and maybe persuade someone to upgrade and go onto a new contract.
In what way will remotely destroying the phone remove this revenue stream?
By discouraging theft .... which is the whole point of the kill switch.
Chicago has the strictest gun laws on the planet and they are the murder capitol of the world.
Hyperbole much?
Illinois gun laws.
Top 50 cities with highest murder rates.
But it's okay to blow things out of proportion and ignore statistics when you're trying to push an agenda.
Or the rate of shootings that go up in cities where guns are banned.
Chicago has the strictest gun laws on the planet and they are the murder capitol of the world.
Utter bullshit.
World cities by murder rate
U.S. cities my murder rate
Gun control state by state.
Even in the most restrictive of your states (California) the gun laws are laxer than in most of the developed world.