The Huffington Post reports that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, citing a rise in the theft of electronic devices such as Apple’s iPhone, has called for a meeting next week with officials from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft.
The Huffington Post, via MacRumors:
Schneiderman, along with San Francisco district attorney George Gascón, will question Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft officials in New York about why they have not yet developed technology that renders stolen mobile devices inoperable, eliminating the incentive for theft.
“The theft of handheld devices is the fastest-growing street crime, and increasingly, incidents are turning violent,” Schneiderman said in a statement Wednesday. “It’s time for manufacturers to be as innovative in solving this problem as they have been in designing devices that have reshaped how we live.”
Both Schneiderman and George Gascón have lead efforts to cut down on crimes related to the theft of electronic devices. Gascón has long been a proponent of “kill switches” to be built into devices which could permanently disable them in the event of a theft. Schneiderman has followed a similar path, last month sending out letters to smartphone manufacturers about steps to deter smartphone theft.
