The Canadian government is planning to ban the Flipper Zero multitool and similar devices after recognizing them as tools that thieves can use to steal cars, writes Bleeping Computer.
Flipper Zero is a portable, programmable remote control cloning/testing tool that helps you experiment and debug various hardware and digital devices using various protocols, including RFID, radio, NFC, infrared, and Bluetooth.
Users have been demonstrating Flipper Zero’s capabilities in videos posted online since its release, showing its ability to conduct attacks to unlock cars, open garage doors, activate doorbells, and clone various digital keys.
According to the Canadian government, about 90,000 cars are stolen every year (or one car every six minutes), and the annual losses from theft amount to $1 billion, including insurance costs for repair and replacement of stolen cars.
The figures cited by the Canadian government in describing the surge in car thefts currently being experienced in Canada are in line with the latest data from Statistics Canada, which shows an increase in the number of reported car thefts since 2021.
The Canadian police also reported that motor vehicle thefts had the most significant impact on the growth of the national Serious Crime Index in 2022.
Amazon has also banned the sale of the Flipper Zero since April 2023 due to it being a card skimming device, after the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency began seizing entire shipments of Flipper Zero in March 2023 due to its alleged use by criminals.
In addition, Flipper Zero is a Russian product, and every user of this device can potentially become a victim of identity theft.
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