California's smartphone kill-switch bill flops in the state senate
US carriers can all collectively breathe a sigh of relief today: California's mobile kill-switch bill is dead, at least for now. The would have required all smartphones sold in the state to include a remote-kill feature designed to render stolen phones useless. The bill was designed to curb phone robberies by making the crime less lucrative. If carriers didn't comply, the state would have been able to fine them $2,500 for every unsupported device sold.
Although the fine would have only been enforceable in California, the bill could have put the remote-kill feature in phones nationwide. In fact, it still might: though the bill failed to garner enough votes to move on to the state assembly, it still has the option to return to the senate in the future.
