(qlmbusinessnews.com . Sat 25th Oct, 2025) London, UK —
The Rising Alarm in London: The Surge in Smartphone Thefts and Tech Giants' Response
Tech giants such as Apple, Samsung, and Google are in the hot seat for not doing enough to curb mobile phone thefts, according to Members of Parliament on the Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the committee's chair, Chi Onwurah, criticised the firms for not implementing technological solutions that would render stolen phones worthless.
This rebuke came on the heels of a heated committee session, during which MPs levelled accusations at technology company leaders for indirectly profiting from the trade in stolen phones.
Reacting to these allegations, Google has claimed to have “invested in sophisticated theft prevention features”, including a lock that activates upon detecting theft, asserting their commitment based on feedback from victims, collaboration with law enforcement, and industry partnerships.
Invitations for comments have been extended to both Apple and Samsung.
In her correspondence with Mahmood, Onwurah revealed that the committee's June hearing endeavoured to explore whether it was possible to “design out” phone theft, concluding affirmatively.
The issue of mobile theft is especially rampant in London, which saw a jump in reported smartphone thefts from 64,000 in 2023 to 80,000 in 2024. The Metropolitan Police have linked 78% of these stolen devices to foreign networks. Although UK phone networks block devices domestically using the phone’s unique IMEI number, international restrictions are lacking.
Onwurah has championed for “solid technical measures”, such as barring stolen phones abroad from accessing cloud services, believing this would substantially reduce their value.
She also referenced Mobile UK, the trade association for the UK's mobile network operators, who see global IMEI blocking as vital in undermining the operations of organised crime rings.
However, according to Onwurah, representatives from Apple, Google, and Samsung have been evasive about their reluctance to adopt such technologies.
She criticised the tech giants for deflecting queries towards data security issues rather than addressing the device theft problem directly, suggesting a lack of evidence for their claim that stolen phones are mostly dismantled for parts.
Onwurah concluded that the technology to deter phone theft exists and lamented the lack of a compelling explanation from the companies for not utilizing these strategies to disincentivise theft and disrupt the stolen device market.
In her plea to the Home Secretary, Onwurah urged for governmental pressure on tech companies to adopt cloud-based blocking and sought confirmation for the date of the next phone theft summit, noting the unfulfilled follow-up to February 2025's meeting.
Commander James Conway of the Met Police underscored the financial impact of phone theft in London, estimating a replacement cost of approximately £50 million in the previous year, a fact highlighted by Conservative MP Kit Malthouse in a committee questioning. He expressed concerns over the perceived commercial benefits that might accrue to companies like Apple from the continual replacement of stolen devices.
Apple's representative, Gary Davis, labelled Malthouse's remarks as somewhat unfair and refuted any implication that the company profits from victims' misfortunes, mentioning Apple's investment in theft protection features.
In their submissions, both Apple and Google defended their existing security measures, with Apple acknowledging considerations for implementing IMEI-based blocks, despite potential privacy and security challenges. Samsung also cited considerable investment in addressing the issue.
Home Office Minister Sarah Jones condemned mobile phone theft as unacceptable, highlighting government efforts to boost police presence and powers to combat crime, whilst emphasising the pivotal role of mobile companies in addressing this challenge.
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