Announcement of Bilateral Initiative to Combat Stolen Mobile Devices
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Mexico's Under-Secretary of Communications Hector Olavarria Tapia Announce a New Bilateral Initiative to Help Combat Stolen Mobile Devices
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski was joined by Hector Olavarria Tapia, the Under-Secretary of Communications of Mexico's Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT), to unveil a new bilateral initiative to help combat mobile device theft and the cross-border trafficking of mobile devices. Chairman Genachowski and Under-Secretary Tapia were also joined by Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police Cathy Lanier.
The new announcement follows the PROTECTS Initiative - launched by the FCC, law enforcement, and the wireless industry in April 2012 - which included commitments by the wireless industry to develop a shared database to prevent the use of stolen devices and a public education campaign to remind consumers to use passwords and apps to locate, lock, and wipe devices remotely. Recent reports indicate that the theft of mobile devices has increased over 40% in some U.S. cities, such as New York. Reports also suggest that some stolen devices in the U.S. are being resold in Latin American markets, including Mexico.
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