‘Kill Switch’ Included on All Cell Phones Made in U.S. by 2015

ALL Cell Phones...So you have no choice. Remember that. Especially when you herd into the stores to actually voluntarily line up so as to get your latest personal tracking device...and pay for the privilege.

www.activistpost.com...
According to a program launched yesterday by CTIA - The Wireless Association®, an international nonprofit that has represented the wireless communication industry since 1984, all phones manufactured in the U.S. after July 2015 will be required to contain a “kill switch” system that can remotely disable and wipe any cell phone’s data.

Although the “Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment” is a voluntary program, apparently all the major players have already happily jumped on board: “Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft, along with the five biggest cellular carriers in the United States, are among those that have signed on to a voluntary program announced Tuesday by the industry’s largest trade group,” reported CNN.
www.cnn.com...

Get that? Even tho the program is voluntary (so they say) ALL major players are on board. Why? Because they know that the majority will fall for the protection slant and they don't want to be left out of the cash cow.

So the argument for this?

"Advocates say the feature would deter thieves from taking mobile devices by rendering phones useless while allowing people to protect personal information if their phone is lost or stolen. Its proponents include law enforcement officials concerned about the rising problem of smartphone theft."

And why wouldn't people believe it? They are so terrified these days of invasions on their privacy and data that they need to protect themselves right? Except for the most important factor. It's their own Govt. and large corporations that are responsible for those fears!

Do you really need protection from Joe Smith down the street more than the NSA, FBI etc? C'mon!

How long will it take people to fully understand that if I can do this to my phone remotely, so can they?

Example: I see a crime committed by police, I record it, I'm going to upload it to YT to expose the culprit. But when I get home I find my phone has been cleared of all data...including my video. That's what it's really about folks. NOT your protection of privacy because you have absolutely none when you buy your new toys.

Example: A call to protest your continuing loss of free speech and the right to assemble is blasted out en masse to 10,000 phones except those phones never receive the message.

Need more examples? You can surely provide your own. This is ATS right?

And the propaganda begins:

Only a short time ago the warning was that terrorists could use this to cut communications...They fail to mention the ones at home that are entrusted to look over you.

So who's on board?

By the way, the 2014 CTIA Board of Directors and Officers include the higher ups (Presidents, CEOs and VPs, etc.) from most of the major communications companies including Ericsson, Verizon Wireless, Blackberry, AT&T, Sprint, Qualcomm, LG Electronics, Samsung, T-Mobile, Motorola, U.S. Cellular, Nokia and Apple.

And remember, many of these companies are the same ones the NSA taps to track all your online communications and populate their databases with your data.

Are you listening? Because they are.

Its proponents include law enforcement officials concerned about the rising problem of smartphone theft.

Yeah. Something tells me officer O'Beatme isn't going to be too thrilled when he pulls one of those warrantless traffic stop cell phone scans only to discover it bricks in his hands.

On the other hand having the footage of O'Beatmes partner kicking a 12 year old girl in the face wiped would surely be a benefit.

I've no doubt whatsoever ulterior motives are lurking. After all, when's the last time a tech company or the government had your well being in mind?

Wow! Technology is such a front, we are being coaxed into it and so many are biting.


/sarcasm on
Anyways, I was tired of deciding when to shut off my phone, I will let the corporate government the responsibility. They know best. Can I go pee now?
/sarcasm off

Thanks OP for posting this... S&F! I think very few people have considered this aspect of the technology... and you know damned well they would use it.

TPTB are more out of control than Giorgio Tsoukalas's hairstylist...

thisguyrighthere

I've no doubt whatsoever ulterior motives are lurking. After all, when's the last time a tech company or the government had your well being in mind?

I think it was the invention of the toaster.

Peace

reply to post by madmac5150

TPTB are more out of control than Giorgio Tsoukalas's hairstylist...

Ok, this made me chuckle.

Peace

reply to post by jude11


It would stand to reason that while a specific protocol accepted by all manufacturers and providers may not have existed already, the means to perform these actions have existed for quite some time.

Remember when Amazon was caught deleting books off users' Kindles back in 2009 (www.legalzoom.com)? Of course, completely wiping a device might be a little different. But OTA (over the air programming) updates have also been known to remove features, content and software too. This isn't much different than a remote wipe protocol.

Let's also remember that manufacturers have been inserting backdoors into chips they make since at least May 2012 when it was first exposed by a PhD candidate at Cambridge (www.zdnet.com), blamed on China, then discovered it was actually the manufacturer itself.

Furthermore, governments tend to do in secret what they legislate or regulate later. So it's reasonable to believe this is simply the legalization of the illegal crap they've been doing already for a long time now.

And let me guess, these phone companies are now going to come up with some sort of "thumb drive" device you can purchase and plug into said phone to save all data.

they say the cell phone is derived from the communicator used in the original star trek
one:
i can see why the word Cell is used...as in jail cell
and two:
guess who gets to wear the red jerzys
them...or ...us?

Danbones
they say the cell phone is derived from the communicator used in the original star trek
one:
i can see why the word Cell is used...as in jail cell
and two:
guess who gets to wear the red jerzys
them...or ...us?

We're all Ensign Ricky at this point. An we all know what happens when Kirk says..."Come with me Ensign".



Peace

ShallowMan
reply to post by jude11

 

It would stand to reason that while a specific protocol accepted by all manufacturers and providers may not have existed already, the means to perform these actions have existed for quite some time.

Remember when Amazon was caught deleting books off users' Kindles back in 2009 (www.legalzoom.com)? Of course, completely wiping a device might be a little different. But OTA (over the air programming) updates have also been known to remove features, content and software too. This isn't much different than a remote wipe protocol.

Let's also remember that manufacturers have been inserting backdoors into chips they make since at least May 2012 when it was first exposed by a PhD candidate at Cambridge (www.zdnet.com), blamed on China, then discovered it was actually the manufacturer itself.

Furthermore, governments tend to do in secret what they legislate or regulate later. So it's reasonable to believe this is simply the legalization of the illegal crap they've been doing already for a long time now.

You got it...And Welcome to ATS!

Great first post.

Peace

I will never have a smart phone [ too dumb ] i prefer my old brick with no camera i got one for Christmas but was too stupid to work it way too complicated and battery life of 5 days versus 5 hours it now lives in a drawer unloved - i know how that feels

This doesn't really make sense because people can lock their phones, which provides at least some protection. And why would anyone put super personal stuff on their phone anyway. If stolen right now can't you just call and have it shut off, tracked, etc. Lastly, doesn't this make it less protected since anyone would be able to disable your phone by calling with a code many of us will have to write down due to an inability to remember yet another set of numbers.

I suppose if we have passwords it will only allow us to kill it, and no one, including the Feds, would be able to access and therefore wipe it clean. However - in fixing one security issue it does create another. If wiped clean I assume it would be unusable forever, which would mean major problems if it's caused by anyone other than the owner (whose going to pay for a new one).

jude11

You got it...And Welcome to ATS!

Great first post.

Peace

Thanks Jude .. I'm happy to be here. I've been lurking for years. I joined to post something in off-topic, but I have 17 replies left to go..

I wanted to mention that the manufacturer who was found to be adding backdoors to their chips had those very chips certified by the US Government for sensitive data processing! WTF, right?

Dianec
This doesn't really make sense because people can lock their phones, which provides at least some protection. And why would anyone put super personal stuff on their phone anyway. If stolen right now can't you just call and have it shut off, tracked, etc. Lastly, doesn't this make it less protected since anyone would be able to disable your phone by calling with a code many of us will have to write down due to an inability to remember yet another set of numbers.

I suppose if we have passwords it will only allow us to kill it, and no one, including the Feds, would be able to access and therefore wipe it clean. However - in fixing one security issue it does create another. If wiped clean I assume it would be unusable forever, which would mean major problems if it's caused by anyone other than the owner (whose going to pay for a new one).

Locked phones can be unlocked

People put everything on their phones...

The Feds can reach out and touch you anywhere, anyhow, anytime.

Make no mistake, if they want to, they can and will.

Peace

ShallowMan

jude11

You got it...And Welcome to ATS!

Great first post.

Peace

Thanks Jude

.. I'm happy to be here. I've been lurking for years. I joined to post something in off-topic, but I have 17 replies left to go..

I wanted to mention that the manufacturer who was found to be adding backdoors to their chips had those very chips certified by the US Government for sensitive data processing! WTF, right?

When it comes to the US Govt. nothing surprises me at all.

Now...Got a link?

Peace

reply to post by jude11


Good to know, S&F! But any idea I wonder if it applies to rooted phones. Or maybe phones that can be breached by JTAG hacking (nudge nudge wink wink). I guess what I am looking at is do I have to mod the operating system or do I have to rewrite the firmware?

The only reason I am looking at this is because if the PTB decide at some point to kill all communications due to revolution, bank run, etc., it would be nice to still have clear channel and IP based jump points to re-establish DNS if necessary.

Get my data, oh nooos. They'll have some good reading if they're into drug/grocery/hardware store chemistry for fun and profit or a lot of karaoke LOL. Ya never know when 50 people are going spontaneously erupt into song in the middle of the street during rush hour and need quick pyrotechnics, like some cheesy movie ;-)

Cheers - Dave

So, just to clarify, this will only affect 2015 models?

Would they not be able to provide updates to phones prior to this?

Anyone know?

When I first heard about this on the news today, my brain immediately went to, all the people taking videos and pics from that ranch ordeal, people demanding to track the cell phones of their loved ones, on the missing plane, kids texting their parents from the capsized boat, people videoing the police...........I'm gonna keep my phone I have now, for as long as possible...sounds shady to me....

j.r.c.b.
When I first heard about this on the news today, my brain immediately went to, all the people taking videos and pics from that ranch ordeal, people demanding to track the cell phones of their loved ones, on the missing plane, kids texting their parents from the capsized boat, people videoing the police...........I'm gonna keep my phone I have now, for as long as possible...sounds shady to me....

You got it.

So many ways to silence the people even more now.

Because in court..."Pics or it Didn't happen" will be the only thing a judge really has to say to you.

Peace