Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) has introduced the Smartphone Theft Prevention Act (H.R. 5834) in the House of Representatives. H.R. 5834 would amend the Communications Act to: (1) prohibit mobile service providers from providing service on smart phones that have been reported stolen; (2) require smart phones to be equipped with anti-theft functionality and mobile device identification numbers; and (3) prohibit the alternation or removal of mobile device identification numbers of smart phones. H.R. 5834 has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce for consideration.
