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01/20/2025 07:50:00 pm

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Samsung promises to add an anti-theft feature in smartphones

6-16-2013(5)

According to the Sina Technology News on June 15, 2013, the San Franciso District Attorney George Gascon submitted a statement that Samsung promised to swiftly add an anti-theft feature to its smartphones allowing users to completely deactivate their devices if they are stolen. 

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"Apple and Samsung have taken steps in the right direction, but it is clear to us that the industry as a whole has more work to do to protect consumers from violent street crimes," said George Gascon.

"Samsung said its new feature would be available by July 1,2013," according to Gascon, "and would render its devices entirely inoperable, even if thieves take measures to prevent them from being deactivated, such as swapping SIM cards or hacking the phone's software." Samsung refuse to comment on Gascon's statement.

The San Francisco prosecutor refers Samsung's plan a "major feature" that may make sure its phones "have absolutely no value in the marketplace once they're stolen."

Besides, Apple has also announced that it is stepping up theft prevention with iOS 7 with "Activation Lock" at its World Wide Development Conference (WWDC) earlier this week in June.

The new feature will not allow iOS devices with "Find My iPhone" activated to have the service deactivated without first entering the Apple ID and password associated with the device. A company executive presented the feature as a "really powerful theft deterrent." But Gascon said "Apple's plans fall short of what is required to undermine the value of stolen devices."

We have good reason to believe it will probably not go as far as what we're talking about," Gascon told reporters Thursday. "We want something that will completely disable the phone."

New York Attorney General Schneiderman, who has teamed with Gascon to press smartphone manufacturers for action to combat thefts, said in Thursday that "he is giving Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft until the beginning of next year to develop a so-called "kill switch" that disables stolen phones, undercutting their value on what has become a global black market."

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