One of the reasons why iOS devices are stolen more than other brands and platforms is due to the fact that iPhones are in high demand, which means that there is just as much demand for them in the black market as there are in legitimate markets. This is why Apple has stepped up security with features like Activation Lock, prevent thieves from wiping the device unless they can verify that they are the owner.
Activation Lock was also introduced in iOS 7 back in 2013, and now that it’s close to a year since iOS 7 was released, how is Activation Lock faring so far? Well according to a report from The New York Times, it seems that Activation Lock has actually deterred thieves from stealing iPhones. Not all, but the drop in iPhone-related thefts has gone down in at least three major cities.
The cities in question are New York, San Francisco, and London. According to New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, “The introduction of kill switches has clearly had an effect on the conduct of smartphone thieves. If these can be canceled like the equivalent of canceling a credit card, these are going to be the equivalent of stealing a paperweight.”
Lawmakers have recently tried to make it a requirement for smartphone OEMs to include kill switches in all their smartphones, although most major companies, including carriers, have voluntarily signed up for a program that will include such features voluntarily.
Filed in . Read more about iOS 7.