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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Smartphone device sales are on the rise with
3almost 1 billion units sold in the world in 2013; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Smartphone theft has increased in Illinois and the
5United States; in 2013, 3.1 million American consumers were
6victims of smartphone theft, according to Consumer Reports
7Magazine (double the number reported in 2012); and
 
8    WHEREAS, 113 smartphones are stolen every minute in the
9United States; in New York City, those thefts account for 14%
10of all crime; the Federal Trade Commission cites one out of 3
11robberies nationwide involves the theft of a mobile phone; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Secure Our Smartphones (SOS), an initiative
13spearheaded by a coalition of law enforcement officials
14co-chaired by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and
15San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, is comprised of
16consumer groups, law enforcement agencies, and elected leaders
17from across the country, including Illinois Attorney General
18Lisa Madigan; SOS advocates a "kill switch", such as featured
19on the latest iPhone operating system, that allows the rightful
20owner to wipe all data from a stolen phone, thus rendering any
21stolen smartphone inoperable on any network, anywhere in the
22world, eliminating the incentive to steal smartphones; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, This issue is a national problem in all 50 states
2and should not be dealt with on a state by state basis; and
 
3    WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon this legislative body to add
4its support to such a commonsense solution for all 50 states,
5especially in the face of mounting evidence that such incidents
6of smartphone thefts are becoming increasingly violent;
7therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call upon the
10Federal Communications Commission to expeditiously promulgate
11such rules and regulations in the interest of public safety
12that will mandate the installation of software in smartphones
13that would render them inoperable if they have been stolen; and
14be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16prepared and presented to the members of the Illinois
17Congressional Delegation, the Chairman of the Federal
18Communications Commission Tom Wheeler, and the other members of
19the Federal Communications Commission.