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

[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

[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

[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.

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.

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.