Android and Windows Phone devices will add a kill switch

The New York Attorney General has signed agreements with Google and
Microsoft to add "kill switches" to Android and Windows Phone devices.



It comes as part of the "Secure our Smartphones" initiative, where
the report stresses the importance of kill switch safeguards for mobile
phone platforms in order to keep user data safe.

The kill switch issue has been one that's been hotly discussed.
For example, in California, the kill switch idea was immediately
rejected, but then the state recently approved it this May. This bill
states that whenever a new phone is purchased in the state of
California, it must be loaded with the kill switch software.



Apple already has a kill switch feature loaded on its iPhones, and
the New York City Attorney General cited that there was a 19% decrease
in iPhone thefts ever since the feature was implemented; whereas Samsung
phones that still didn't carry the feature experienced a 40% increase
in robberies.



Now it's unclear as to when the kill switches will be added to the
Android and Windows Phone platforms, but when they are, every one of
Google and Microsoft's phones will have a kill switch.