Minnesota passes first-in-nation smart phone 'kill switch' law

[Wireless News]

Minnesota's new \"kill switch\" law requiring manufacturers to install a function that remotely disables stolen phones aims to curb the rising tide of violent cell phone theft. The Minnesota law, which Gov. Mark Dayton signed Wednesday, will require all new cellphones sold after July 2015 to be enabled with a kill switch and will prohibit retailers from paying cash for used devices. Minnesota is the first state to enact such a law, but New York, California, and the federal government are currently weighing similar legislation.- \"Cell phone theft is a major concern here in Minnesota and around the country,” said state Sen. Katie Sieben, who authored the bill, in a statement.-“This legislation, which is the first of its kind in the country, will help reduce the likelihood that people will be robbed of their smart phones.”

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