Big Three meet with Cooper at Home Office summit over mobile phone crime epidemic

Apple, Google, and Samsung executives  joined the Home Secretary, police leaders, the National Crime Agency, and Mayor of London at a conference yesterday in London to respond to a 43 per cent surge in street crime, driven by mobile phone theft.

The Government is calling for a unified strategy  to tackle the growing issue. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pledged to introduce new legislation that would give police increased powers to deploy hotspot policing and conduct targeted operations.

“Mobile phone thefts have surged, often driven by organised crime—leaving our streets feeling less safe. That has to change,” Cooper said. “Bringing together tech companies and law enforcement is a significant step forward in disrupting, designing out, and disincentivising these damaging crimes.”

Cooper also urged tech giants to strengthen the anti-theft security features** of their devices to make stolen phones worthless to criminals. She emphasised the need for deeper collaboration with police, focusing on better intelligence sharing. The group will reconvene in three months to assess progress.

highlighted the Metropolitan Police’s intensified operations, which have resulted in 1,000 phones seized** and 230 arrests**.

“We know we can’t arrest our way out of this problem,” said Khan. “Mobile phone crime is a national and international issue that demands innovative solutions.”

Aleyne Johnson, Director of Government and External Relations at Samsung UK, said:  “Our recent One UI7 update introduces new anti-theft features like identity checks and biometric authentication, enhancing device security.”

Google UK Safety and Security Lead Alex Rawle   emphasised Android’s security features, including Theft Detection Lock  and Remote Lock. “Google is dedicated to supporting efforts against mobile phone theft through continuous collaboration,” he stated.

Apple Senior Director of Regulatory Legal Gary Davis added, Features like Activation Lock** and Stolen Device Protection** make it harder for criminals to exploit stolen devices.”