If you have prior experience of losing your Smartphone like I do, you will know what a pain it is to worry about the possibility of sensitive information stored in your phone being leaked. It is after all the sole device that contains all of my deepest darkest and maybe even dodgy secrets. So to have it lost … Is to me, one of the most painful experiences anyone might have to go through.

I may be spared that excruciating pain of worrying about where my personal information may end up at soon because, come July this year if I were to live in sunny California. Laws ensuring that all Smartphones sold programmed with an active kill switch will kick in.

Yes, you are now able to kill your phone.

Just like out of a comic, you press the magical RED annihilation button and POOF! The Smartphone that has been declared lost is now rendered completely useless. Making it almost impossible (only because hackers gonna hack) for the blackmailer or anyone to obtain any information from it, much less even try to use it.

For the absent minded worriers like myself, whose phone was actually in her back pocket but killed her Smartphone anyway just because, I couldn’t find it even though it is literally just there. Rejoice! The kill switch is reversible. For now, there it is still unclear on how the reversal will work, I figure that it would most probably be via cloud or a similar system.

For now, Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store have existing applications that mimics this function, with apps like ‘Find my Phone’ and ‘Android Device Manager’. These apps may not function in exactly the same manner as a kill switch, but they do prevent unauthorized usage of your phone and are able to give the location of your lost Smartphone.

It is definitely a YAY over a nay with kill switches for me. I personally can’t wait for the law to make kill switches mandatory on all Smartphones to be implemented in Singapore. With this law being enforced, I am assured that my dodgy little dark secrets remain private and one huge less worry for me if my Smartphone decides to go for a walk without me.

So, what are your views? Do share with me your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

G.K