Apple has reportedly made Activation Lock on by default in iOS 8

According to reports Apple has made the ‘Activation Lock’ theft deterrent advice in iPhones on by default in iOS 8, in order to appease politicians who have been trying to get the tech company to implement a remote ‘kill switch’ to disable stolen devices.

Activation Lock itself has been present on iPhones since iOS 7 launched last year, and is designed to remotely lock or wipe stolen iPhones with the ‘Find my iPhone’ app in order to keep user data safe, or prevent their use by thieves. The ‘Secure Our Smartphones’ initiative in the US has expressed disappointment that this feature isn’t on by default, and has been pestering Apple to make it mandatory.

The news itself comes from US Attorney General Eric Schneiderman who said:

After months of work with the Secure Our Smartphones Initiative, Apple has taken a significant step forward in our shared effort to make dangerous and often deadly smartphone thefts a thing of the past. By being the first manufacturer to make an effective theft deterrent a default setting on new products and making it available to customers using older products Apple is helping ensure the safety and security of their customers.

That’s only good news for iPhone users, and it certainly makes it much easier to ensure that your iPhone, and the data it contains, remains safe if it gets stolen by some nefarious individual.

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