Statement by Senator Brad Hoylman on Smartphone “Kill Switch” Agreement Announced by CTIA, The Wireless Association

“The ‘Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment’ announced today by CTIA, The Wireless Association, a trade organization for wireless communications industry, is an important acknowledgement on the part of smartphone manufacturers that they must take action to protect consumers’ personal information in the event their smartphones are lost or stolen, which is what I have advocated at the state level in legislation I sponsor entitled the ‘Smartphone and Tablet Security Act’ (S6748/A9070).
 
I applaud CTIA for responding to law enforcement, consumers and policymakers and congratulate New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for his national leadership on this issue. I echo the Attorney General’s call for the industry to expedite implementation of this commitment and will continue to work with the industry and my colleagues in the legislature on making the ‘kill switch’ a default feature on smartphones.”