Qualcomm unveils tech to combat dodgy phones

Qualcomm has launched a device identification system that could help fight the trade in counterfeit and stolen phones.

The new Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) platform reportedly “leverages each device’s unique identifier to help mobile industry participants and governments alike combat reported stolen and counterfeit phones, which can otherwise bypass laws and certification requirements.” 

The tech is open source software, and can be downloaded for free from the website GitHub.

It is intended to work on a global scale, not just for the US market. Qualcomm launched the platform in Pakistan in May, and says it plans to expand to Indonesia and other countries soon. Using the system, consumers can log in to the DIRBS government website, enter the IMEI of the device you are buying, and be told if the phone is original, and whether it has been stolen.

“Specifically, DIRBS looks up in-country databases maintained by governments, to confirm that devices aren’t stolen, have been properly imported, have passed required certifications and have properly allocated globally unique identifiers,” says Qualcomm.

“Regulators can then take action to mitigate the number of devices that do not meet these standards from being registered with cellular networks,” it added.

The company claims has a much broader level of functionality than the CTIA’s stolen phone database, which was released to the public in 2017 and is more primarily focused on the US marketplace. CTIA has said that 842,408 devices have been checked since the database was launched.

The DIRBS platform is intended to expand beyond just regulating stolen phones to cover counterfeit, illegal or noncertified devices that may be sold through third-party retailers.

Last year, the OECD said that 20 per cent of all shipped mobile phones were fake. It estimated that the value of global trade in counterfeit ICT goods at $143bn as of 2013, based on data from nearly half a million customs seizures around the world over 2011-13.

Meanwhile, an analysis from the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Observatory suggested that 184 million fewer smartphones were sold by legitimate companies as a result of the illicit trade in knock-off phones in 2015.