Law360, New York (July 8, 2015, 9:08 AM EDT) -- California's smartphone kill switch law took effect July 1. With certain exceptions, it requires that any smartphone manufactured on or after July 1, 2015, and sold in California after that date come equipped with software and/or hardware that locks a stolen or lost phone, rendering it — at least theoretically — useless to a would-be thief, and alleviating consumer concerns regarding their data's security. California's law differs from a similar Minnesota law by requiring the anti-theft feature to be turned on as the default setting when consumers first set up their phones. The bill provides for a civil penalty of between $500 and $2,500 for each knowing retail sale of a noncompliant smartphone....