Do Kill Switches Deter Cellphone Theft? (arstechnica.com)

evolutionary shares an article from Ars Technica: San Francisco's district attorney says that a California state law mandating "theft-deterring technological solutions" for smartphones has resulted in a precipitous drop in such robberies. Those measures primarily include a remote kill switch after a phone has been stolen that would allow a phone to be disabled, withstanding even a hard reset. Such a kill switch has become standard in all iPhones ("Activation Lock") and Android phones ("Device Protection") since 2015... When measured from the peak in 2013, "overall robberies involving smartphones have declined an astonishing 50 percent... Because of this hard-fought legislation, stealing a smartphone is no longer worth the trouble, and that means the devices we use every day no longer make us targets for violent crime."

Comments

Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[ZorinLynx]

You can use pretty much every component in a stolen iPhone except for the logic board and touchID sensor (which is paired with the logic board).

So stolen phones are still valuable because you can sell the parts, especially the screens which are the most common component to need replacement since there's so many klutzes out there.

On one hand, pairing the screen and other components with the logic board in a way that only the manufacturer can, like the Touch ID sensor, would solve this problem. On the other, servicing our own devices will become even harder if they do this.

It's a trade-off. It's good that features like activation lock have reduced theft so much though.

Re: Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[ZorinLynx]

>I thought they patched away error 53 for unpaired Touch ID.

They did, but TouchID still doesn't work afterwards.

Re:Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[93 Escort Wagon]

The only kill switch that would truly deter theft is one that would actually kill the thief.

Given that it's demonstrably true that smartphone thefts have fallen precipitously since these features have become standard, the onus is on you to provide some actual evidence your statement has any basis in fact whatsoever.

Re:Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[rworne]

Thieves will smash a car window to get a few coins in a car's cupholder.

There's no amount that's too little for them.

Re:Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[rtb61]

What happens is you hugely limit the market. For the majority willing to buy stolen stuff, parts are of no use and only a tiny minority are in a position to buy as parts to use in their business and it makes it much easier to monitor, investigate and prosecute those that do. It would likely be better that devices are not bricked but rather flagged. So device stolen, device flagged, some one uses the device, than police and the device and the person using the device are brought together. The police can then investigate whether the person stole the device or just bought it unknowingly and try to track back the seller and in the interim return the device.

Re:Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[swell]

Right. I'm trying to imagine a horde of meth users carefully disassembling a smartphone in a dark alley using a rusty pliers and a can opener. My imagination isn't quite up to the challenge. Yours?

Re: Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[Jeremi]

You want some evidence that killing thieves is a bad idea? Market a cell phone with the ability to kill its user and see how many people are inclined to buy one from you.

Re:Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[sl149q]

Stolen phones are worth something for parts.

It's just that they are worth far less when sold for parts than sold as a working phone.

The value proposition in stealing a phone that can be resold as a working phone is much better than stealing a phone that can only be sold for parts. So there is (now) much less incentive to stealing phones. Yes, you can get something for them. But much less, so many thieves will look for something else which pays better for the risk.

Re:Stolen phones are still valuable for parts

[tlhIngan]

If someone steals phones, lets the battery drain in Faraday cage bag, then parts them out, they will still make some decent cash. A 100% Apple touch screen still goes for a C-note or two. A finger print scanner or other items are not cheap either. Android stuff can go into a parts bag and be useful here and there.

The problem is "decent operation". Once you're into this, the costs go up significantly, and the price for an Apple screen isn't that high (if you have protection, it's $50, and many street sellers do it for very low cost).

A single person on the street isn't likely to be that - you'd have to recruit an army of them. And once it happens, the exposure goes way up and annoying law-enforcement type people start poking their heads around.

Draining the battery does no good, either - Apple phones will re-lock if you try to reflash the OS - part of the activation process is to enter in the owner's apple ID and password. (This has hurt the resale value if people forget to unlock the phone prior to sale).

Heck, most people already are wary of buying stolen phones. I remember a few years back a kid was trying to sell 4-5 phones, most likely stolen. Kid was still there hours later trying to fence them, and all that happened in the end was he threw them against a wall and smashed them, wasting a whole day trying to sell it so he might as well have fun with it.

I can't answer

[jfdavis668]

My used cell phone suddenly stopped working.

worst data ever

[supernova87a]

The connection is obvious, but the announcement was pathetically weak. See here for the actual page from the district attorney: http://sfdistrictattorney.org/...

To show a kindergarten bar chart from 2015 to 2016 as the data behind that claim is pretty pathetic. I mean, cmon, the main claim is that crime decreased from 2013 when these tools became available, and they show only 2015 and 2016 data, which by the way, shows crime increasing or at best, variable during this period?

What summer intern put together this press release?

All I would trust this data to say is that no one wants LG, HTC, and Motorola phones...

My kill switch

[rholtzjr]

I have opted for one of my own. Most people take a look at my phone and say "Holy Crap, what is a Motorola Razor and why does it flip open like a Star Trek communicator? What are you, in the 20th century still?". Hey, problem solved.

This could be another reason...

[bogaboga]

When measured from the peak in 2013, "overall robberies involving smartphones have declined an astonishing 50 percent...

In my little world these include cellphone attributes that have made them cheaper and therefore more available: -

1: More powerful but cheaper at the same time

2: More varied especially in the Android world

3: No longer *the gadget* to have, i.e. They aren't a status symbol anymore. Heck, you can finance an iPhone at 0% at WalMart!

Put the fucking thing away

[Known Nutter]

In the SF Bay Area -- as many here know -- the local media has been covering a recent uptick in electronic device theft (iPhones and iPads of course) on BART. TFS is reporting these types of thefts are down, but not on BART.

I hate to be "that guy", but for fucks sakes, put the fucking thing away when you're on BART (or any public transit) and pay attention to your surroundings. Why do we have to tell people this? Many of these thefts are grab and dash right when the doors are about to close. That nimrod standing right by the door, headphones on, staring at the screen..? You're a mark.

Re:Good grief, NO, and let's move on...

[bug_hunter]

The kill switch was first widely implemented by Apple on their own phones prior to any law,
There were some reported vunerabiities found in 2014, which were since patched and I haven't heard of any exploits since.

Granted politicians have a habit of passing laws without any understanding of technology or implementation, but this was already a proven solution when the law was passed.
Maybe there are some underground hacks, but I don't think they'll be easily available to the kind of people who feel they have to steal smart phones for some cash. To your point, why *wouldn't* thieves give a shit about it? When nobody wants to buy a stolen phone because they know it wont work they'll get the message. Yeah you can still sell it for parts or sell to unsuspecting people but that's a lower incentive.

Here's a bunch of older stories claiming that the iPhone kill switch lowered thefts
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ip...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci...
https://www.theguardian.com/te...
http://www.businessinsider.com...

As others have said, the overall reduction in phone thefts are probably due largely to do with the greater availability of phones, but let's not all of us just jump on the cynical bandwagon and suggest every idea ever is stupid.

Evil is as evil does

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Phone companies were partners in the thefts. They had the customers on the hook for the rest of their contract, and they'd dutifully buy another phone.

Meanwhile, the stolen phone must sign up with someone, often that very same carrier. So they in effect get the robbed customer to subsidize a second new customer for them.

Re:Well, one thing I don't want to deter

[DonaId Trump]

Mooch, what are you doing? I need you back here at work. We're about to have a tremendous meeting, I need your help thinking of some vulgar nicknames for Senators. We're going to invent the best nicknames, believe me.