iOS 7's Activation Lock feature responsible for fewer stole iPhones

Shawn Knight

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iphone kill switch reducing theft google

Smartphone kill switches may very well be mandatory in the future but are the solutions already on the market – namely, the Activation Lock feature in iOS 7 – actually doing anything to curb smartphone theft in high-risk areas? It would appear so.

According to a report from The New York Times, theft of Apple devices since Activation Lock was introduced seems to be down across the board. Police in San Francisco said iPhone theft dropped 38 percent in the six months before and after the feature debuted. In London, another hotbed for thieves, police reported a 24 percent drop in stolen Apple handsets.

The trend continues in New York as robberies involving Apple gear dropped 19 percent in the first five months of this year compared to the same time period a year ago.

It’s clear that iPhone thefts are on the decline although one has to be cautious of giving all the credit to Activation Lock. As Maximum PC points out, there are other factors at play that need to be considered as well such as increased effort from tech companies and law enforcement to educate people consumers regarding extra security measures they can take.

Things like setting up a passcode are being pushed more now than ever. You’d be surprised at how many people operate devices filled with confidential data without a passcode.

Looking ahead, it appears that both Google and Microsoft are working on anti-theft technologies of their own that will be baked into future revisions of Android and Windows Phone, respectively. Perhaps government intervention won’t be needed after all.

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If only everyone knew about this. It would result in almost ZERO percent of iphones being stolen. The only ones that would be stolen are people hoping that the owner doesn't have an icloud name.
 
How is software preventing someone from stealing? I know that robbers know that they can't use the stolen phone now but even if you have implemented lock features on your phone it can still be stolen and if they cannot use the phone they can just destroy it so you don't get it back.
 
How is software preventing someone from stealing? I know that robbers know that they can't use the stolen phone now but even if you have implemented lock features on your phone it can still be stolen and if they cannot use the phone they can just destroy it so you don't get it back.
theft is a result of greed and incentive. If your end result nets you no value or no use of the item stolen, then incentive becomes zero.
 
theft is a result of greed and incentive. If your end result nets you no value or no use of the item stolen, then incentive becomes zero.
Yeah, thief doesn't have any use from the item but still someone doesn't have his phone anymore.
 
My iPhone is internally lined with primer cord – thieve at your own risk.
 
you are missing the next logical step... knowing that there is no point to steal another one.
No I got that, but where I'm from the thieves really don't care, they won't stop stealing cause there's always a chance that the persons phone is not protected, they are desprate people anyway, especially cause of economical situation here, but I can see the point.
 
Surely its the popularity of the I-phones dropping that has resulted in less thefts.
 
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