Politics & Government

Lawmaker Wants 'Kill Switch' on Cell Phones

The so-called "kill switch" could be flipped if a phone is lost or stolen—helping to curb the resale of the phones on the black market.

By Lauren Traut

State Sen. Toi Hutchinson wants to trip up thieves looking to make a buck off of stolen or lost cell phones.

Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) has proposed a bill that would require any cell phone bought or sold in Illinois to have a "kill switch,"  that when activated would render the phone inoperable if lost or stolen. 

The requirement would hopefully make it trickier for the phones to be resold on the black market. The legislation would also prohibit wireless providers and manufacturers from tacking on extra fees for the phones.

The bill (SB3539) would ideally help curb the theft of smart phones, Hutchinson touts.


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