California Law to Require Antitheft Technology in Cellphones

Or better yet, every time you need to make a phone call, your ownership of the phone will be verified on-site by a blue-gloved agent of the state...

...who will then administer a full-body pat-down. You know, for good measure.

It seems like every day I'm reading some new news article on how over bearing and strong handed California laws are. I used to hear people joke about moving out of California to a "free state" and never paid much attention to it but now I get it.

No. Too many opportunities for abuse.

There's already an easy way to do this (that I remember reading somewhere is already being done in Australia).

When a phone is reported stolen the carriers just need to blacklist the IMEI so it doesn't work - removes the incentive to steal devices. I don't remember where I originally read this (probably here), but the US carriers were not interested in doing this because they don't see stolen phones as a problem that hurts them (arguably it gives them more business).

Sounds like always-on DRM. The rich and the technologically adept will be unaffected, but another hammer will be available for our ambivalent rulers to manipulate normal people.

This shitty DRM better be opt-in.

Fined $2,500 for every device sold lacking this DRM? Only if there is a $2,500 refund for every device accidentally bricked.

I can see media companies loving this. Watching an unlicensed movie? Your phone is now bricked. Mission creep will be inevitable.