California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the SB-962 smartphone “kill switch” bill into law on Monday.
According to CNET, the state became the first to have such a bill which was enacted to cut down on smartphone theft.
The San Francisco Gate noted that the law will become effective on July 1, 2015. With anti-theft technology, consumers will be able to activate a kill switch during the setup of new smartphone.
The kill switch will prevent a phone from working in the case that it becomes lost or stolen.
"California has just put smartphone thieves on notice," said Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco)in a statement. "Our efforts will effectively wipe out the incentive to steal smartphones and curb this crime of convenience, which is fueling street crime and violence within our communities."
Both Apple and Google reportedly had plans to implement kill switches in order to deter thieves and now under the new law it will be mandatory.
Apple's iPhone currently has a remote locking mechanism in iOS with Find My iPhone.