Met Police Seeks Tech Industry Action on Stolen Phones
The Metropolitan Police has urged technology companies to implement measures that make stolen phones more difficult to reuse, aiming to reduce criminal profits from such devices.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has formally requested the home secretary to introduce legislation requiring phone manufacturers and service providers to publish data on stolen devices and enforce protocols that render these handsets effectively unusable.
Collaboration with Apple to Track Stolen Devices
On Thursday, the police force announced it had begun sharing information with Apple to develop a "global picture" of the fate of stolen handsets, including monitoring whether these devices are reconnected to mobile networks.
If stolen phones cannot be reactivated, their value collapses, and so does the incentive to steal them,
Sir Mark stated.
He highlighted that through cooperation with Apple to enhance security, only a minority of stolen phones are being reactivated compared to several months ago, thereby making it more difficult for criminals to profit from theft.
Previous Ultimatum and Crime Statistics
This initiative follows an ultimatum issued by the Met Police chief in March, urging firms to implement measures that would reduce the attractiveness of stolen phones for resale and reuse.
London continues to experience some of the highest rates of personal robbery and theft per thousand people in England and Wales.
The international market for stolen phones is valued in the millions of dollars, with devices stolen in London fetching higher prices in countries such as China due to the absence of local government restrictions.
According to the Met, the number of thefts involving stolen phones decreased by 14,000 between June 2025 and May 2026, representing an 18% reduction compared to the previous year.
In Westminster, where between 69% and 72% of weekly thefts from the person and personal robberies involve phones, there has been a 45.8% reduction so far this year.
Industry Response
Kate Adams, senior vice president of government affairs at Apple, commented on the company's commitment to security:
Keeping our users, their devices, and their data safe is at the heart of what we do. That includes building industry-leading security features that significantly reduce the motivation for criminals to target people in the first place.
The Met also noted that Samsung and Google are implementing security changes aimed at addressing this issue.
