California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill on Monday mandating all smartphones manufactured in the state to carry kill switches, which allows owners to render their phones useless in case the devices got stolen, reports the LA Times.
Jim Evans, a spokesman for the governor, has personally confirmed the purpose of the signed bill, saying "the governor signed SB 962 to deter smartphone theft."
The SB 962 Smartphones Bill was approved previously by the California State Assembly earlier this August, and was passed in the California Senate a few days after, according to Mac Rumors.
The signed bill will require smartphone manufacturers in the state to install anti-theft technology in the form of software or hardware in their devices that can render them inoperable to an unauthorized user in the event the device got stolen or misplaced.
The kill switch also has to resist any attempt to reboot or downgrade the operating system of the device, and should be able to disengage reactivation on a wireless network except when it is by the authorized user.
The bill was introduced by State Senator Mark Leno and sponsored by George Gascón, the district attorney for San Francisco, says TIME.
"California has just put smartphone thieves on notice," said Leno in a statement. "Starting next year, all smartphones sold in California, and most likely every other state in the union, will come equipped with theft deterrent technology when they purchase new phones. Our efforts will effectively wipe out the incentive to steal smartphones and curb this crime of convenience, which is fueling street crime and violence within our communities."
Many tech companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Google have earlier agreed to include kill switch features on their devices after July 1 next year. The bill, however, requires these companies to enable the anti-theft technology by default instead of making it optional.