London's phone theft crisis: A controversial blame game between police and Apple
A staggering number of iPhones have gone missing in London, and the police are pointing fingers at Apple's response. The Metropolitan Police Service (Met Police) has made a bold accusation, claiming that Apple is turning a blind eye to a critical national database of stolen devices. This database, known as NMPR, is meant to track and prevent the trade of stolen iPhones for credit towards new devices.
But here's the catch: The Met Police alleges that while Apple uses the NMPR daily to check the network status of traded devices, they fail to verify if these devices are stolen. This oversight, according to the police, has led to an 'epidemic of phone thefts' in London, with over 80,000 iPhones reported stolen last year, up from 64,000 in 2023. The cost of replacing these stolen phones is estimated at a whopping £50 million, a burden borne by users and insurance companies.
And this is where it gets controversial. Apple, in its defense, has outlined its efforts to combat phone theft. They've implemented a stolen device protection feature and a setting that locks iPhones to the original owner's account. Apple even considered blocking IMEI numbers of stolen phones, but they argue that this could be abused by scammers. The company also highlights that blocking IMEI numbers won't stop phones from being stripped for parts.
The police, however, aren't convinced. They believe Apple should do more, including 'bricking' stolen devices, rendering them useless. The Met Police also claims that Apple isn't fully investigating theft reports, while Apple counters that the police should focus on traditional policing methods. This back-and-forth raises an important question: Is Apple doing enough to combat phone theft, or is the police's criticism unjustified?
The debate continues, leaving many wondering about the true extent of Apple's responsibility in this complex issue. What do you think? Is Apple being unfairly targeted, or is there more they could do to help curb this growing problem?
