POLL OF THE DAY: Will 'kill switches' end the phone snatching epidemic?

Published: 12:16, 11 June 2026 | Updated: 12:16, 11 June 2026 Apple has agreed to install a 'kill switch' that will make stolen mobile phones worthless – dealing a huge blow to the booming trade in snatched devices. The tech giant announced a change in the settings on its phones worldwide following a campaign led by Britain's top policeman and backed by the Daily Mail. The move allows the devices to be shut down and rendered unsellable – and comes after London became notorious as the global capital of phone theft. Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley announced he was writing to the Home Secretary asking for legislation to force them into making stolen mobiles unusable.  The black market is worth more than £50million a year in the UK, but will the 'kill switch' end the phone snatching epidemic? Vote in the Mail's latest poll here: In yesterday's poll, Mail readers were asked: 'Should passport checks be conducted between Northern Ireland and the Republic?' Out of more than 12,000 votes, 90 per cent of you said 'yes' and 10 per cent said 'no'. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.