Wireless carriers establish electronic blacklist to fight smartphone theft

OTTAWA – Wireless carriers are setting up a system that would blacklist lost or stolen smartphones and keep them from being reactivated.

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association says within a year, any effort to authorize a smartphone will require verification that the device hasn’t been reported lost or stolen.

If it’s on the blacklist, it won’t get activated.

The association says the measure is designed to help fight the theft of wireless devices by reducing their black market value.

The group is also setting up a consumer information website and producing a series of broadcast public service announcements focused on reminding people to protect the information on their smartphones.

It says the loss of a smartphone can be more than just a nuisance if personal information is compromised.