Met Police: Make Stolen Phones Unusable
Met Police Stolen Phones Unusable
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has formally requested that the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, introduce legislation compelling mobile phone companies to ensure that stolen devices are rendered completely “unusable bricks.” This move is part of an ongoing effort to eliminate the resale value of handsets, which currently fuels a multi-million-dollar international criminal market.
The Commissioner argues that as long as stolen phones can be reactivated and sold, they will remain primary targets for organized crime syndicates. By requiring technology giants to implement robust technical standards, the force aims to ensure that any phone reported as stolen becomes worthless to criminals, thereby removing the incentive for theft.
The push for legislative action follows an ultimatum issued by the Met in March, which demanded that major technology firms present credible solutions to address the security flaws that allow stolen devices to be wiped and resold. While some progress has been made, including a new partnership between the Met and Apple to share data on stolen handsets and track their movement, the police force maintains that voluntary cooperation from the industry is insufficient.
The Met is specifically calling for measures such as mandatory multi-factor authentication, significant time delays for resetting devices to factory settings, and the implementation of global blocking capabilities that prevent phones from being repurposed on international networks.
Data released alongside these calls indicates that recent policing strategies—including the use of e-bikes, drones, and live facial recognition—have already begun to yield results. In the 12 months leading up to May 2026, the number of robberies and thefts involving mobile phones in London dropped by 14,000, representing an 18% reduction compared to the previous year.
Despite this progress, the Met continues to categorize phone theft as a “significant” issue that requires systemic changes at the manufacturing level. The proposed legislation would also require companies to publish transparent data regarding stolen devices, ensuring accountability as law enforcement continues its crackdown on the illicit trade. Read more about the latest efforts to combat mobile phone theft here.
