Why aren’t they using IMEI blocking, right now, for the same purpose? They could be, but they are not - why not?
So, what happens if the manufacturers say “screw Cali”?
California residents could still buy whatever make/model of cellphone they desire online, right?
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…