Can Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc (GOOG) Stop This Serious Problem?

As you know, smartphones are extremely valuable. With many of these devices costing more than $500 without a contract, there is no wondering why thefts are on the rise. While police can only do so much, it appears that US government officials are turning to others for assistance. And in this case, those others include both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG).

Apple and Google are among the top players in the smartphone space. Apple has the iPhone as well as the iOS operating system. Google, on the other hand, is making big waves with its Android operating system. What two better companies to rely on for help fighting against this serious problem?

Yesterday, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman came together to talk about a Smartphone Summit set to take place next week. During this time, they hope to get with the largest companies in the industry, such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), to talk about what can be done about this growing problem.

Gascon added the following:

“With 1.6 million Americans falling victim to smartphone theft in 2012, this has become a national epidemic. Unlike other types of crimes, smartphone theft can be eradicated with a simple technological solution.”

While there does not appear to be an easy fix on the surface, at least at the present time, there is a simple idea that could help solve this problem once and for all. These two state attorneys want smartphone companies to design devices with a “kill switch” that will allow users to remotely disable their smartphone. With this, anybody who steals a smartphone would not be able to use it. Subsequently, the entire idea of doing so is no longer appealing.

It is safe to say that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) would want nothing more than to help solve this problem. That being said, nobody knows for sure if the two companies, among others, will actually discuss the ability to add this sort of feature to upcoming devices. For smartphone users, however, it would be a nice feature that gives them peace of mind.

If nothing else, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) can lend some insight into the technology side of things while hopefully helping US officials solve this problem.