Tue, 03 Jun 2025

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 Apple and Google clash with police and MPs over phone thefts

The police told MPs that a big proportion of violent crime is related to mobile phone theft.

* Senior officials from Apple and Google clashed with UK police over recommendations for addressing phone theft.
* The Metropolitan Police's James Conway stated that two-thirds of London's thefts are related to mobile phones, which contribute to 70% of knife crime linked to robbery.
* Apple and Google expressed concerns about implementing IMEI blocking as a solution, citing potential issues with fraud and security.
* Apple's head of law enforcement requests, Gary Davis, estimated over 1,000 people attempt to access devices each month for malicious purposes.
* The firms have introduced safety features such as Stolen Device Protection and Theft Detection Lock in the past year.
* Police officers sought action from phone providers to prevent further thefts, citing 75% of stolen phones being moved abroad.
* Some MPs accused Apple and Google of lacking the will to take action, with one stating "you could tomorrow stop phones that are on the IMEI blacklist connecting back to your services if you so wished".
* Google's software engineering manager Simon Wingrove replied that the issue requires an industry-wide approach and that blocking IMEIs is not within their power.
* Apple expressed concern about the market for second-hand parts, with Mr Davis stating "if we focus on IMEI blocking only you are going to miss the market for parts".
* The committee was frustrated by Apple's emphasis on Activation Lock, a feature which links device components to a person's Apple ID.
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