MPs slam Apple and Google over phone theft profits

Members of Parliament have accused tech giants Apple and Google of indirectly benefiting from organized phone theft operations, which police linked to criminal networks operating in the UK, Algeria, and China.

The accusations were made during a hearing by the House of Commons, science and technology committee, on Tuesday, June 4, 2025.

There officials argued that both companies are failing to take adequate action to reduce the value and usability of stolen smartphones.

They claim this enables the continuation of these lucrative criminal activities.

In 2024 alone, around 80,000 phones were reported stolen in London, a significant increase from the 64,000 stolen in 2023.

The estimated street value of these stolen devices is approximately £20 million, with iPhones constituting the bulk of the thefts.

Police officials highlighted the increasing role of smartphones in these crimes, especially high-value models that are easy to resell or repurpose.

The Metropolitan Police called on smartphone manufacturers to disable stolen phones from accessing cloud-based services.

They emphasize that this would render the devices “not smart” and significantly reduce their resale value.

Darren Scates, the Met’s chief digital data and technology officer, revealed that this request had been made as early as 2023.

However, according to him, the request had yet to receive a commitment from either Apple or Google.

During the session, Martin Wrigley, a Liberal Democrat MP, strongly criticized the companies, stating:

“Apple and Google continue to profit and sell more phones because these devices are not removed from their systems.

“You owe it to customers around the world to implement this now.

“No ifs, no buts—just do it.”

When questioned about their reluctance, representatives from Apple and Google cited concerns over user data security.

Simon Wingrove, a software engineering manager at Google, defended the company’s current system as “robust” and effective.

Similarly, Gary Davis, warned that allowing stolen phones to be cut off entirely might backfire, potentially opening the door to fraud.

Davis is Apple’s senior director in regulatory and legal affairs.

He noted that malicious actors could exploit such features to access or erase user data for blackmail or other criminal purposes.

However, former policing minister and Conservative MP Kit Malthouse suggested that commercial motives may be at play.

He argued that Apple’s resistance could be due to a financial incentive to keep stolen phones in use.

He estimated that halting phone thefts in London alone could cut £50 million in potential annual revenue.

Malthouse further implied that Apple might be profiting from selling services to users of stolen devices around the world.

Davis firmly rejected these allegations, stating:

“I don’t believe we are profiting.

“We must refute the idea that we benefit from our users going through the trauma of having their phones stolen.

“We’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars into protections.”

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police reported a 15% drop in overall thefts during April and May 2025, with about two-thirds of these crimes involving mobile phones.

Commander James Conway cautioned that the decline might be temporary, attributing it to increased police focus and growing public awareness.

He added that Scotland Yard had recently deployed a fleet of high-speed electric bikes to help officers pursue thieves more effectively.

Conway also described the fast-paced and organized nature of the crimes, involving teenagers riding high-powered e-bikes along major London roads like the A10.

These individuals reportedly commit multiple thefts in quick succession.

They often wrap stolen phones in foil or place them in Faraday bags to block tracking before handing them off to middlemen.

These middlemen then export the devices out of the country.

Police say most of the stolen phones are top-tier Apple models, resold on the street for £300 to £400.

These phones are particularly sought after in low-income countries, where their high retail prices make stolen units highly desirable.

Authorities estimate that over 90% of stolen phones are reused, while the remaining 10% are dismantled for valuable parts, especially screens.

The hearing opened with a startling personal account from Malthouse.

Malthouse said he had witnessed an attempted phone theft by two masked men on bikes just hours earlier, on his way to Parliament.

This incident thus underscored the urgency of the issue.

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