The benefits of using it Kill Switch, that is to say, the automatic dismantling of one smartphone when it is stolen, is self-evident since its application would prevent the devices from being stolen from the outset, since they would be rendered virtually useless.
However, Professor William Duckworth, of the University of Creighton, went one step further, giving the above rationale and the parameter of economic impact.
More specifically, Professor Duckworth made one research which involved 1.200 people and estimated that consumers could save up to $2,5 billion if the tactic of remotely disabling a stolen device, i.e. implementing the Kill Switch, was implemented.
This amount comes from 500 million dollars that will save users to buy a new device, after the theft of the previous and other 2 billion dollars, from avoiding insurance costs for the theft of their devices. As can be easily seen, the study shows the benefit to ordinary consumers, but not the corresponding losses of telecommunications and insurance companies.
Asurion, an electronics insurance firm, claims that 60% of "missing" devices are simply lost and not theft. At the same time, the implementation of Kill Switch will not totally deter thefts, as there will always be a need to use devices as a source of spare parts.
It is worth noting that the two bodies of the US Congress (Senate and House of Representatives), have introduced bills to establish the Kill Switch, but without their passage being scheduled. Also, in Professor Duckworth's research, 99% of users want this feature to be implemented to reduce device theft.
The delays seem to be the result of pressure from Companies supply telecommunication services. In its publication, Warranty Week magazine claims that the four leading providers in USA had for 2013 7,8 billion dollars revenue from providing insurance services to their customers.
