After being deemed unnecessary and previously having been shot down, the California state senate approved kill switches for cellular phones sold in the state. Kill switches, as they are called, can render a cellphone inoperable in the case that one gets stolen. Law enforcement officials including LAPD Chief Charlie Beck backed the legislation, saying that the kill switch is a measure to counter the surge of violent robberies in which smartphones are usually stolen by thieves for resale.

Last month, the bill failed to pass the legislature by two votes because of business concerns that it would adversely affect sales. An estimated $7.8 billion reduction in revenue could take place when hardware replacement due to theft is removed. State lawmakers approved Senate Bill 962 on Thursday. It was authored by California Senator Mark Leno and was sponsored by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon. The bill requires wireless companies, as well as retailers, to include anti-theft technology, more commonly known as the "kill switch." However, tablets are not required to follow these rules as set out by the bill.

A kill switch will allow the smartphone owner to disable the device remotely, including its power and signal. The bill further requires that smartphones be equipped with this technology as well as the option to disable it. Any company that does not observe the rules will suffer a penalty ranging from $500 to $2,500 per device that does not comply with the standards. However, the bill will have to be approved by the California Assembly and be signed by California Governor Jerry Brown for it to become a law. Congress is now considering a separate federal kill-switch law as well.

Leno further commends tech giants Apple and Microsoft for dropping their opposition to SB 962. Both companies are not entirely unfamiliar with this system, as they already have included software in their mobile devices that allows users to remotely lock or erase devices.