Apple Inc, Samsung and Microsoft's idea of putting a "kill switch" in smartphones to deter theft has been rejected by mobile phone carriers. According to San Francisco Attorney General George Gascon in his Twitter account, wireless carriers discarded the kill-switch proposal. Mr Gascon also suggested that carriers are thinking of income first before security of smartphones.

Along with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Mr Gascon has been involved in the initiative known as the Secure Our Smartphones (SOS). It is a joint initiative between the state and local officials to reduce cases of smartphone theft.

Mr Schneiderman, wrote a letter to Apple Inc, Samsung, Microsoft and Motorola to ask if they can collaborate with his office to find a solution to discourage thieves from stealing smartphone devices.

Since the request, Apple Inc has included the "kill switch" in its iOS 7 devices. People in possession of lost or stolen iPhones cannot reactivate the device without the original owner's Apple ID and password. Mr Gascon and Mr Schneiderman commended Apple for this security feature.

According to a Samsung representative, the company is working on its own kill switch since Samsung considers theft to be a serious issue.

Despite the cooperation of smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung, mobile phone carriers are not happy with the kill switch. Mr Gascon suggested in his tweet that they may be concerned that the security software will reduce their profits from insurance programmes. Customers usually get insurance for devices in case they get lost or stolen.

According to the wireless trade association representing major U.S. carriers (CTIA), the kill switch might be used to prevent customers involved in emergency services and law enforcement to use the device. Emergency calls would not be possible for disabled phones. The association insists on looking for another approach.

Apple Inc products targeted by criminals

Meanwhile, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said Apple products are most targeted by criminals. The NYPD said almost 20 per cent of theft involved Apple products. In 2012, about 16,000 iOS devices were stolen. Stealing iPhones makes up 14 per cent of crimes in New York.

Former FBI and DEA agent Bob Strang said iPhones have a high resale value. He said those stealing Apple products are not petty thieves, but expert criminals working for a network.

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