Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley asks the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to introduce legislation requiring technology firms to make stolen mobile phones unusable. The proposal aims to reduce the market for stolen devices by preventing reactivation, limiting their usability after theft, and making them less attractive to thieves. Rowley also calls for compulsory sharing of data related to stolen devices, so that phones cannot be easily recovered and reused.
Across the coverage, the approach is framed as a “kill switch” or “unusable bricks” model, where stolen phones are effectively rendered non-functional. The reports describe London as a major hotspot for phone theft in England and Wales, with hundreds of devices reported stolen each day, and a significant share of national mobile thefts occurring in the capital.
The articles note that the police request would involve tech companies and would require changes through new government action and regulation, rather than relying solely on voluntary measures. Details of timing, enforcement, and the extent of data sharing are not specified in the excerpts.
