Overview
- The Metropolitan Police allege Apple accesses the National Mobile Phone Register for trade‑in checks but does not act on theft reports tied to those devices.
- Apple rejects the criticism, citing Find My and Stolen Device Protection and stating it promptly responds to verified law‑enforcement requests.
- The company is exploring IMEI blocking for reported thefts, though it warns the approach could be abused through false claims that would disable legitimate phones.
- More than 80,000 phones were reported stolen in London in 2024, with police saying iPhones are disproportionately targeted and many devices are exported, including to China and Hong Kong.
- Parliamentary scrutiny has intensified as committee chair Chi Onwurah presses tech firms for stronger action and police link the trade in stolen phones to organized criminal activity.