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According to a Reuters report today, the introduction of “kill switches” in the latest generation of smartphones has led to a massive reduction in smartphone thefts in three of the world’s biggest cities.
In San Francisco, iPhone theft fell by 40% in the 12 months following the introduction of a kill switch in its iOS software in 2013.
In New York, in the same time period, iPhone theft fell by 25%.
And in London, smartphone theft fell by 50%, according to the announcement, which was made today by officials in the three cities in question.
“We have made real progress in tackling the smartphone theft epidemic that was affecting many major cities just two years ago,” said Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who is currently visiting the U.S.
In California, San Francisco district attorney George Gascon said, “The wireless industry continues to roll out sophisticated new features, but preventing their own customers from being the target of a violent crime is the coolest technology they can bring to market.”
To date, Apple, Samsung, and Google have all introduced kill switches in their devices, and Microsoft is expected to follow suit later this year.
Source: Smartphone theft drops in London 2 U.S. cities as anti-theft kill switches installed - Yahoo Finance
