iTunes could be anti-theft weapon

It’s widely known that Apple has the ability remotely disable iPhone applications that pose a security risk to the device. Now a major newspaper has raised the idea this function could be a weapon against stolen devices.

Steve Jobs confirmed in August that the iPhone contains a kill switch, a line of code which allows Apple to remotely access a handset, check for applications which are known to carry content which could damage the phone’s software, and block the applications from running.

There’s no evidence that the firm has yet exercised the function, but that hasn’t stopped questions about how it would work, or if Apple might ever use it for more controversial purposes such as disabling applications which were distributed outside of the official iPhone app store.

Now the man behind a Web site which lists the serial numbers of stolen iPods (in the hope that they’ll be reunited with their owners) is calling for the kill switch to be used as a physical security measure. Canada’s largest newspaper, The Globe And Mail, quotes Marc Hinch (whose site logo is pictured above) as suggesting iTunes could remotely disable any iPod which is listed as stolen.

In principle, the idea appears to make sense. However, there are several potential stumbling blocks:

• Aside from the iPod Touch, this would have to work through a different method for iPods. Rather than accessing devices wirelessly, it would have to work through iTunes on a user’s computer. Unless a kill switch feature is already in iTunes, this would have to be added through an update, meaning anyone with a stolen iPod could simply use older editions of iTunes.
• The kill switch is designed to disable specific applications. There’s no guarantee it’s capable of disabling the iPod software itself.
• Keeping track of stolen iPod serial numbers and remotely disabling them wouldn’t be a great deal of work, but it’s still time and money that Apple might not feel any need to spend.
• There’s a pretty high possibility that operating this system would eventually lead to a legitimate iPod getting switched off. The resulting public relations damage could easily outweigh the goodwill from tackling iPod theft.

But the biggest problem with the idea is that it probably wouldn’t act as much of a deterrent. Stealing a portable device such as an iPod isn’t exactly a major heist, so the risk that it might turn out to stop working isn’t going to put people off. In any case, many if not most iPod thieves are simply looking for something they can sell for a quick buck, so they’ll likely have passed it on before it gets deactivated.

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