Blacklist Stolen iPad?

Hello:

Apple is not a law enforcement agency (obvious observation). Apple has no way (that I am aware of) to "disable" a stolen device or prevent it being used.

If your friend has notified the appropriate law enforcement agencies, if it is recovered it might be returned.

Hopefully your friend had some sort of insurance.

Barry

If you report your device lost or stolen with the serial number Apple only needs to help the user find its device

There have already been a number of good reasons given why this is impractical. However, regardless of those reasons, this is not an appropriate discussion. The Apple Support Communities Terms of Use very clearly states that this is a technical support forum, and that speculation and discussion of Apple policies is not permitted. That is not what these forums are for, and distracts from their purpose.

If you believe Apple should track and blacklist or locate stolen devices, you can suggest that here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Apple does not provide that service. If your friend set up Find my IPhone on his iPad, then he could use another iDevice or computer to try to find the iPad on a map, activate the passcode (if he did not turn it on) or wipe the iPad clean. My guess is that he didn't activate it in settings, otherwise you wouldn't be asking here. I'm afraid there isn't much he can do other than report it to the police and the insurance company, if the circumstances permit.

I think this is something Apple should look at. They most certainly are an enforcement agency, consider the itunes licenesing controls and the limit of content based on market rules and regulations.

If you need an itunes account to do anything on an iPod, iPhone or iPad, and the serial number of your device is sent through with that account, and there must surely be a list of valid Apple serial numbers, reporting your serial number as stolen should block its use.

This would make the theft of Apple products redundant.

At current state Find my iPhone (iPad) functionality is completely cosmetic and useless. Thieves only have to get home and "restore" the device with a new firmware to get it back in service.

On the other hand I think Apple does have the right level of empowerment and control mechanisms to blacklist stolen devices. As an example, they do currently control SIM lock and issue SIM unlock commands on per-device basis, they also issue installation certificates (SHSH) on per-device basis, to authorize new version of the operating system to be installed on the products (they could refuse to issue certificates for stolen devices), they control push notification delivery, iCloud access, ...

Blacklisting devices would really be one GREAT service to loyal customers.

Actually a minor correction. Apple employees do monitor these forums, but never post replies as the forums are user-to-user. Having said that, I completely agree with the suggestion to use the feedback mechanism as those are always reviewed.

Barry

Interfering with a customer's iPad based on the supposed owner's say-so would not only involve a large expense, it would also involve Apple in some potentially significant legal issues. Imagine, for example, that you bought an iPad from someone on eBay, but they took a long time to ship it, so you gave them a bad rating, and the seller retaliated by reporting the iPad stolen. Apple disables it, and now you have an expensive piece of glass, unless you go through legal channels to prove you were the legit owner.

Also, think about the outcry that privacy advocates would raise at such involuntary monitoring.

jabbathehut wrote:

I think this is something Apple should look at. They most certainly are an enforcement agency, consider the itunes licenesing controls and the limit of content based on market rules and regulations.

If you need an itunes account to do anything on an iPod, iPhone or iPad, and the serial number of your device is sent through with that account, and there must surely be a list of valid Apple serial numbers, reporting your serial number as stolen should block its use.

This would make the theft of Apple products redundant.

Twisting things a bit there. Apple actual does not enforce what you do with copyright material after you purchase it, nor do they enforce how you use your Apple device after you buy it. If you violate fair use copyright laws, it would be the job of law enforcement to deal with you, or the owner of the copyright could do so through civil action. If you violate copyright, Apple is not going to come knocking on your door, or root your computer or cut off your internet access (but the RIAA or the MPAA or whomever may very well slap you with a lawsuit).

Apple does abide by the laws that govern the sale and distribution of such material (as any retailer is required to), and they face the consequences of enforcement of those laws if they violate them by the government. Or they too can face a lawsuit from the RIAA, MPAA or whomever if they do not exercise due diligence in the legalities of distributing copyright material (in fact, the RIAA & MPAA do have a reputation for not bothering to actually track down the copyright rule breakers, but take the easy road and just sue the distributor instead).

Maybe find an app writer and talk to them and see if they can work with apple to extend the find my iPad into a 'brick my stolen iPad'

That said the 'bully that bricks your iPad out of spite' is a very real concern. However insisting upon a police report proving that the item is stolen can be a way around that.

I think the eBay example is great, because if you think about it, you already can end up with an expensive piece of glass if you do business with the wrong seller. Yet eBay has been a revolutionary way of doing commerce, it is extremely popular service which has millions of highly satisfied ebuyers out there (me among them). Now, I am sure that if we had polled the idea 20 years ago people would have envisioned tones of risks and implications.

Of course there are implications, but let's not apply the bandage before there is a wound. Blacklisting stolen devices would be a great SERVICE (not just functionality). I am confident Apple is more than capacble of working out these implications 🙂

If the bandiad required a copy of a police report stating the iPad as stolen, then that would eliminate most if not all abuse. Then if the serial number of the stolen device was locked out of iTunes, technically it'd still be useable, they'd have to jailbreak it to do that.

Or if iTunes, once they received a real report of a stolen device, sent back to the owner the IP address(s) that device is used on, then it could aid in the recovery of stolen merchandise.

That said, people manage to steal and wipe cell phones all the time.

Perhaps something for someone to write up and submit to Apple and see if they'd work on it some day.

I dont think apple will get anywhere near the issue. Too many ways to get it wrong. One persons stolen pad is another person just taking back their gift. There is no question that the technology exists to track and catch, but apple cannot get anywhere near it.

I think an app that locks the pad, turns on a tracker, etc would be a good thing. You could then let local law enforcers do their job.

If they have sold 20 mil, probably 200,000 have been lost or stolen. Can you imagine the staff required to service that load if they tried?

My apartment just got broken into....my wifes kindle fire and my ipad were both among the stolen items...all i had to do was call amazon and they blacklisted the serial number meaning it is pretty much a brick once its set up to the internet....you mean to tell me that amazon is willing to do it but apple wont.....

About all you can do is send Apple some feedback and let them know your issue and your feelings. Dont expect anything but a from reply, however if enough victims of theft send them feedback, perhaps they will explore tweaking the find my device app to something with more f unctionality.

DavidSmith1029 wrote:

.you mean to tell me that amazon is willing to do it but apple wont.....

In the long run, what difference does it make to the person who lost their iPad? It's still gone. It would be better to set it up on "Find my phone" where there might be a chance of getting it back.

When I lose something, whether it's stolen or lost, I move on.