Mobile device usage may be monitored and restricted by pushing enabling/disabling events from an administrator the device. The events impose a certain set of rules that can “lock” certain features provided by the device, according to permissions and pre-established policies, for a certain period of time. Such restricted periods may coincide with meetings or other events in which distractions should be kept to a minimum or be during regular, predetermined time periods. Preferably, the rules include conditional locks that allow a user to use a feature a reasonable number of times before the lock is activated to place the onus on the user for minimizing such distractions, while enabling the user to maintain access to such a vital communication tool. Cancel packets may also be used to not only control but to monitor the application of the rule sets and when certain conditions are breaches, which provides an employer with sufficient information to use in auditing device usage or in reprimanding users for misuse of a privilege such as the use of mobile data communications devices.