NY AG: iPhone's activation lock reduces phone thefts; Android and Windows Phone to also have kill switches
Android, Windows Phone Will Have Kill Switches, N.Y. Says — Google Inc. (GOOGL) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) will incorporate a “kill switch” into the next versions …
Context & Ripple Effects
The move follows an April industry commitment to smartphone anti-theft measures involving Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung and carriers. It also reverses the practical balance from late 2013, when carriers rejected a kill-switch proposal aimed at curbing handset theft.
New York's attorney general is using iPhone activation lock as evidence that a built-in, platform-level control can alter theft incentives, putting Google and Microsoft on a common security baseline with Apple.
First-order effects
- Google and Microsoft must add device-disablement capabilities to their next Android and Windows Phone releases, extending a theft-deterrence feature beyond Apple's handset ecosystem.
- Buyers of Android and Windows Phone devices gain an OS-level way to render a stolen phone less useful, rather than depending solely on carrier action.
Second-order effects
- Carriers' role in theft prevention narrows as operating-system vendors supply the core lockout mechanism that carriers had previously resisted.
- Android handset makers and Windows Phone licensees will need to implement the platforms' anti-theft controls consistently, making security support part of device compatibility rather than a carrier-by-carrier option.
Third-order effects
- If activation locks prove effective across platforms, smartphone theft prevention shifts from voluntary carrier policies toward a standard operating-system feature expected across the market.
- The episode strengthens the case for regulators to judge mobile-security measures by measurable changes in criminal incentives, not just industry pledges.
The trend: Smartphone security is moving toward platform-level controls that reduce the resale value of stolen devices across competing operating systems.