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Smartphone Theft Prevention: New Rules for Carriers and Manufacturers

New rules aim to make it harder to use and resell stolen smartphones. Carriers will be prohibited from providing service on reported stolen phones, and manufacturers must include anti-theft features. This should enhance your phone's security and make it less appealing to thieves.
Key points
Mobile carriers will be unable to activate stolen smartphones, reducing their value to thieves.
New smartphones sold in the U.S. must come with free, pre-loaded anti-theft features, allowing remote locking or data wiping.
Removing or altering phone identification numbers (IMEI) will be illegal, punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Selling smartphones with a reported stolen identification number will be prohibited.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_HR_7362
Sponsor: Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
Process start date: 2022-04-01
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
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OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Cell Phone Theft Prevention Act of 2022

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_HR_7362.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2022-04-01.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Mobile carriers will be unable to activate stolen smartphones, reducing their value to thieves.
  • New smartphones sold in the U.S. must come with free, pre-loaded anti-theft features, allowing remote locking or data wiping.
  • Removing or altering phone identification numbers (IMEI) will be illegal, punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
  • Selling smartphones with a reported stolen identification number will be prohibited.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-28.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Security Courts and Law