Compulsory 'kill switch' on smart phones by 2015 - thoughts?

[Smiling Buddha]

The "kill switch," a system for remotely disabling smartphones and wiping their data, will become standard in 2015, according to a pledge backed by most of the mobile world's major players.

Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft, along with the five biggest cellular carriers in the United States, are among those that have signed on to a voluntary program announced Tuesday by the industry's largest trade group.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/16/tech/mobile/ctia-phone-kill-switch/



Over to you, bigfooty.

 

[LukasTheGreat]

Urgh, do i have to sit through 2 minutes of American shit??

 

[Quivorir]

Here we go again.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

I thought the "kill switch" would have a slightly different meaning....

 

[Messenger]

So if you fall behind on your bill, they could wipe and lock your phone.

 

[Gough]

I thought they could pretty much do this anyway.

 

[Quivorir]

I thought they could pretty much do this anyway.

They can. It's just SB trying to push his anti US and anti government agenda again.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

I'd have thought someone like him would be all for having the ability to remotely disable and lock his phone when the big bad government steal it.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

So if you fall behind on your bill, they could wipe and lock your phone.

They can and do already just cut off your service?

 

[Messenger]

They can and do already just cut off your service?

Yeah, they can. Very true.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

As with all SB's threads, it's his follow up post/s where he actually says what he wants to say.

We wait!

 

[Messenger]

As with all SB's threads, it's his follow up post/s where he actually says what he wants to say.

We wait!

Government will be able to control your mind via your smartphone. And take your cattle away.

 

[BALKAN]

I thought most phones could already do this.

 

[Handsuper47]

When it said 'kill switch', I was thinking of something else entirely.

 

[bkozican]

In all honestly what can we do. Nothing absolutely nothing

 

[Zach Package]

If i had a dollar for every one of SB's faux thought provoking threads...I'd have enough for a moderately priced steak dinner.

 

[The Sultan]

so the govenment can read / kill my phone it all pr0n and random shit anyway

 

[Hipster Doofus]

I'll just pay my bills like I do every month then

 

[vealesy]

Obviously some people dont use their phones for anything important or litigious, but for those that do, this could be a bad idea.

"Yeh hi Im Mr Vigilant Citizen and my phone 7654346 just got stolen and needs to be wiped of all data."

 

[radiojake]

Didn't read the article, but the title made me think of inbuilt obsolesence - The driving force of consumer capitalism and the forebearer of destruction -


You plebs better update your phones once the eye-phone 5.7 is released with a free hat

 

[The_Reaper]

Obviously some people dont use their phones for anything important or litigious, but for those that do, this could be a bad idea.

"Yeh hi Im Mr Vigilant Citizen and my phone 7654346 just got stolen and needs to be wiped of all data."

Just claim you do your banking/keep important work documents on it.

 

[vealesy]

Just claim you do your banking/keep important work documents on it.

Claim?

I actually do. I dont have a work PC, i have an iphone. The thought that it could be wiped beyond my control whilst in my possession before i can back it up, terrifies me.

 

[BALKAN]

Didn't read the article, but the title made me think o. inbuilt obsolesence - The driving force of consumer capitalism and the forebearer of destruction -


You plebs better update your phones once the eye-phone 5.7 is released with a free hat

Well done on taking the opportunity to be smug even though your comment had nothing to do with the topic

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Claim?

I actually do. I dont have a work PC, i have an iphone. The thought that it could be wiped beyond my control whilst in my possession before i can back it up, terrifies me.

Your phone gets stolen. It has much important personal information. It can now all be wiped and the phone immobilised remotely.

This terrifies you?

People are using their smartphones for everything nowadays. I think this is a pretty good security measure, no?

The feature would let a phone's owner erase contacts, photos, e-mail and other information, and lock the phone so it can't be used without a password.

The feature, which will be offered at no cost to consumers, also will prevent the phone from being reactivated without an authorized user's consent. The data would be retrievable if the owner recovers the phone.

 

[Quivorir]

I can already do this myself. My work can do this. If you are connected to a Microsoft exchange account your work can erase your phones data at the click of a button. This is nothing new.