Remarks of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel Federal Communications Commission Workshop On Prevention Of Mobile Device Theft

The thought of losing or misplacing our devices is scary. More frightening, still, is having them stolen.

But theft of mobile phones is surging. One in three robberies now includes the theft of a mobile device. When you add in the cost of lost personal and financial data and identity theft, it can cost American consumers as much as $30 billion a year.

By introducing legislation and speaking up they are shining a light on this problem -- and pressing for solutions.

As a result, we have a commitment from manufacturers and wireless providers to support anti-theft solutions in new phones. These solutions should be available at no cost to consumers. They should help wipe sensitive data from devices remotely and render them inoperable by bad actors.