Some 78,000 people had their phone or bag snatched last year, more than double the previous year.
Maybe a bit cynical, but this sounds like an attempt at making it possible to remotely backdoor or at least disable the phones of people the government doesnt like. You can already track any phones location as soon as it is powered on. They should just get the phones back to the owner instead of bricking them.
I guess the thinking is making them next to worthless means they’ll get stolen less.
Most networks will bar a stolen pones IMEI if it’s reported but that doesn’t stop them so this would have to be a step up.
Some of the responsibility needs to go onto owners though - you see people walking around with £1000+ phones like they are a slice of pizza. You wouldn’t walk around with that amount of cash on in your hand.
I suspect a good proportion of those don’t even have find my phone or whatever switched on. Could it not be on by default, or would that be a nightmare?
And FFS people, stop putting your credit cards whatever in your phone case. Put a password on it whilst you’re at it.
Sucks for them, but this is the wrong way. Except if I can work my own exclusive system, or a system from another service provider into this. Previous to the stealing, of course. And without anyone needing to “allow” me