Stolen mobile phone Soon permanently may be permanently disabled in a bid to permanently combat the rising levels of theft in the UK – but a security expert fear that it may not be enough to stop Fraud problem,
Labor MP Don butler Demanding an amendment for Crime and policing billFor which mobile phone companies will need to block the stolen phone within 48 hours of the police report and pay financial penalty if failed to do so. In theory, it will discourage people by swiping them as they will lose resale value.
Ms. Butler, who recently announced that she will stand for the mayor of London Sadiq Khan Standing down, said: “Tech giants have a clear responsibility here: there are already equipment already existing to disable stolen equipment, and it is time to use them.”
Last year alone in Westminster, About 35,000 phones were stolenA large number of these are used to access bank accounts and other data. As Action fraud, The money is then transferred or used to shop.
Between December 2024 and February 2025, £ 641,208 National Fraud Reporting Center was informed in phone theft.
Tech retailer Karis found that 77 percent of British people see “phone snatching” as a important problem.
Among the victims are James O’Sullyn, who had a drought of £ 21,000 from his bank account in 2023. The same year, he established a smartphone safety company, from the orbit, which allows people to block access to services and accounts after theft of their phones.
When it comes to cheating a phone, he said that “different tastes of the same attack are”.
In the case of Mr. O’Sullyven, someone saw him entering his pin, stole him, and reached his accounts. The second time, someone will wait to unlock the phone and hold the phone with their hands. He said that copies of passport or driving license were also valuable and could be used to steal IDs.
If, according to Ms. Butler’s amendment, the manufacturers would still have enough time to reach accounts and data on the phone, which will still make it worthwhile to steal.
They told Independent: “MPs are asking for a sensible solution – to create that a stolen phone cannot be used against you. The problem is that they are asking handset manufacturers to do so … but reality is, they cannot, they cannot, because they are not more capable of connecting to offline devices than anyone else.”
Ms. Butler said: “My amendment will not replace individual banking security measures, it is about adding a strong additional layer of security.
“Once the phone is guaranteed to block, their resale price will be reduced. I am sure that certainty will make the phone theft less attractive.”
Ms. Butler said Metropolitan Police And the Science and Technology Selection Committee agrees that the phone companies can do more and they should do.
Talking to Parliament, Ms. Buttler said: “The phone manufacturer is not curious, I don’t believe it, because it is part of their business model – when you are stolen your mobile phone, you go and then buy another mobile phone.”
Asked whether it was true, and whether it supports the amendment, a Google spokesperson told that Independent: “Android has invested in advanced theft protection facilities over the years. We have developed and developed these facilities by listening to the victims and partnering with law enforcement and industry.”
Former Home Office Minister and Tory MP Kit Malthaouse In June told the officials of Google and Apple: “It seems to many people like you are pulling your feet … and in fact there is a very strong commercial incentive sitting behind it,” according to ” Many times,
But AppleWhich makes about 80 percent of the stolen phone, claims that it is taking necessary action.
A spokesman told Independent: “We have been working on this issue from the point of view of a hardware, software and customer aid for more than the last decade. We have continued to invest important tools and facilities of the industry and control the hands of our users in the event of theft.”
A Samsung The spokesperson said: “We are constantly collaborating with our colleagues to see new and existing solutions to help deal with this complex issue and eventually help improve the safety of our customers, which is our primary concern.”
Home office has been contacted for comment.