Google and Microsoft will add a “kill-switch” feature to their Android and Windows phone operating systems.<\/p>\n
The feature is a method of making a handset completely useless if it is stolen, rendering a theft pointless.<\/p>\n
Authorities have been urging tech firms to take steps to help curb phone theft and argued that a kill-switch feature can help resolve the problem. <\/p>\n
Apple and Samsung, two of the biggest phone makers, offer a similar feature on some of their devices. <\/p>\n
The move by Google and Microsoft means that kill switches will now be a part of the three most popular phone operating systems in the world. <\/p>\n
Authorities claim that Apple’s feature – dubbed Activation Lock – which it introduced on all iPhones running the iOS 7 operating system in September last year, has helped reduce theft substantially. <\/p>\n
According to a report by the New York State Attorney General, in the first five months of 2014 the theft of Apple devices fell by 17% in New York City.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile iPhone robberies fell 24% in London and 38% in San Francisco in the six months after Apple introduced the feature, compared to the previous six months.<\/p>\n
“During the same period, thefts of other popular mobile devices increased,” the report says.<\/p>\n
Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan said the move was a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n
“This is a fantastic move and will go a long way in helping authorities come one step closer to realising a vision of zero theft of mobile phone,” he told the BBC.<\/p>\n
But he added that it was “not a foolproof system” as thieves “will find a way to monetise the accessories and parts of a phone”.<\/p>\n
However, he said the market for parts and accessories was relatively small and the kill switch “does substantially reduce the financial incentive of stealing a device”.<\/p>\n
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