Montana bill would bar remote 'kill switches' on personally owned devices without a warrant

Sen. Ken Bogner, sponsor of Senate Bill 364, told the House Energy Committee the proposal would "prevent companies, entities, from using a kill switch on an individual's personally owned property without a warrant." The hearing drew questions about auto-industry starter-interrupt devices, leased equipment and law-enforcement access.

The bill would make it unlawful for a company to remotely shut down, accelerate battery drain or shorten the useful life of a personally owned product without a warrant, Bogner said. "This would not apply to property that someone is leasing, that an employer owns, subscriptions, memberships, or recurring payment programs," he said.

The measure grew out of concerns that manufacturers or service providers could remotely disable products owners believed they controlled. "By prohibiting entities from remotely activating kill switches without a…