# Could a smartphone "killswitch" work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-smartphone-killswitch-work/680844>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 8, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-smartphone-killswitch-work/680844 "2014-02-08T17:07:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-smartphone-killswitch-work/680844/21 "2014-02-11T19:39:49Z")

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> [@Diceman](#):
>
> I think I agree with **t-bonham**. Within a year, the primary use of killswitches would be the cellphone carrier blackmailing/getting revenge on customers. All the major carriers would do it, and yeah there’d be a few that don’t, but those would be the small-time carriers that have like 4 towers in the entire country.

Why aren’t they using IMEI blocking, right now, for the same purpose? They could be, but they are not - why not?

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-smartphone-killswitch-work/680844/22 "2014-02-11T19:43:36Z")

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> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> So California, with the best of intentions as always, is trying to pass a law saying all smartphones sold there have to have a “killswitch” - a feature that will allow the carrier to kill the phone dead as a rock.

So, what happens if the manufacturers say “screw Cali”?

California residents could still buy whatever make/model of cellphone they desire online, right?

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**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-smartphone-killswitch-work/680844/23 "2014-02-11T19:51:51Z")

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In theory, the “killswitch” would protect the consumer as much as the carrier, in that the phone data is “bricked” as well. That’s one thing not currently covered by switching off service, doing an IMEI search, etc.

The whole killswitch thing, though, still depends on being able to locate the phone on the network, which means IMEI searching, which means the phone has to be active. If the thief deactivates the phone and sells it for overseas use or reprogramming (and both of these “industries” are quite large), then it’s pretty much a useless gloss on what we already have, protecting stupid or unlucky users from stupid thieves. And putting that protection in the hands of the carriers and anyone clever enough to malware their way into the killswitch controls.

Once again, California legislators show their deep concern and deeper cluelessness…

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