Tuesday 9 June, 2026
To move the mobile industry towards a mechanism that would allow the remote disabling of a mobile device requires a structured approach and assessment of the problem. The GSMA, as it represents over 1,000 mobile network operator and supplier companies in more than 220 countries, can facilitate exploration of solution options by defining the characteristics of features and by achieving consensus of its membership, that could lead to a consistent implementation of solutions that are widely supported by operators and device manufacturers.
This document defines a set of requirements which can be used by device manufacturers, mobile network operators, and third-party service providers, to offer a set of features to device owners and authorised device users to assist in locating lost/stolen devices and to protect the data within the device. Separately, mechanisms to combat supply chain theft are also discussed alongside consumer theft requirements, when applicable. Additionally, these requirements may be useful as a guide for governments and legislators in the formation of legislation related to mobile device theft prevention and, in some circumstances, law enforcement agencies may also find these tools useful.
The features which implement these requirements are envisioned to operate at the application level of the device software architecture, although device manufacturers may choose to embed these features in the operating system. The implementation of these features may also require support from mobile network operator infrastructure or other third party or manufacturer provided servers that are accessible to device owners and authorised device users via the Internet. Additionally, some or all of the features listed in this document, and the enablement of them, may be offered via a technical support/customer care call centre.
