Maffei, Schneiderman discuss smartphone theft prevention

SYRACUSE — U.S. Representative Daniel Maffei (D–DeWitt) today announced he’s co-sponsoring a bill that would require a kill switch to deter thieves and help end a “violent epidemic” of smartphone thefts.

The office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman used that language in a news release to describe the thefts.

Schneiderman on Friday joined Maffei, Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler, and New York State Senator David Valesky (D–Oneida) at Syracuse City Hall to discuss the proposed legislation.

The Smartphone Theft Prevention Act has sponsors in both the House and U.S. Senate, according to Maffei. U.S. Representative Jose Serrano (D–15) introduced the legislation.

It also has a companion bill in the Senate, Maffei said.

If a thief steals the phone, the technology would enable users to access their devices remotely and disable access to their private information.

“You would be protected from anybody trying to get your personal identification … Nobody would ever be able to use your phone again, and therefore, why steal it,” Maffei said.

If the companies will not do it themselves, then lawmakers want to make sure citizens are protected, he contended.

But Maffei and Schneiderman said they are hopeful that phone manufacturers will respond this year, with some pressure from lawmakers.

“The crime wave will end as soon as all the manufacturers install kill switches, so you can cancel it like a credit card,” Schneiderman said.

The effort has to be industry-wide, and it has to be something “that the crooks know everyone has the capability of using,” he noted.

Schneiderman also used the appearance to announce that State Senator Valesky has joined the Secure Our Smartphones (S.O.S.) Initiative.

Launched in early 2013, S.O.S. is an international coalition that includes prosecutors, police chiefs, attorneys general, public officials, and consumer activists.

The coalition already includes Miner and Fowler.

The initiative aims to encourage the smartphone industry to implement “meaningful” solutions to stop “Apple Picking,” or the theft of mobile-communications devices such as smartphones and tablets, according to Schneiderman’s office. 

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com