<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"With smartphone theft on the rise, lawmakers have proposed a bill aimed at reducing the impetus for thieves.\nIf passed, the law would require manufacturers to install a \"kill switch,\" or a mechanism to disable stolen phones. The law would not only protect sensitive personal data stored on the phone, but also ruin the device's resale value. A group of four senators, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), introduced the bill on Thursday.\nSee also: 9 Things You Would Immediately Fail Without Your Smartphone\n\"Cell phone theft has become a big business for thieves looking to cash in on these devices and any valuable information they contain,\" Klobuchar said in a statement, \"costing consumers more than $30 billion every year and endangering countless theft victims.\"\nCiting the Federal Communications Commission, Klobuchar's release stated that one-third of all robberies in the country involve cellphones.\nThe bill's proposal comes a week after California state legislatures introduced a similar measure in the state's senate.  \nSen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gasc\u00F3n all joined Klobuchar in support of the bill, which is being calling the \"Smartphone Theft Prevention Act.\" \nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/02/14/senate-smartphone-kill-switch/>