The California State Senate today reconsidered a bill it struck down last month, which would require cell phone makers to install kill switches, and passed the bill by a wide margin.
The idea behind the law is to make sure all users have the ability to protect their personal data. Specifically, the bill requires devices to include a kill switch that the owner can use to render the device useless if stolen, as well as restore the device if it is recovered.
The CTIA, which panned the bill, has a voluntary program in the works that would offer similar functionality, though not necessarily preinstall the kill switch as the bill requires.
The bill still has to go before California’s State Assembly and the Governor’s desk before it becomes law.
