Sadiq Khan hails new Android security features in bid to tackle phone thefts
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00:00I welcome the progress Google have made.
00:01I mean, they've taken on the challenge I put to them last year,
00:03which is that you've got to do more to try and, to phone companies rather,
00:07you've got to do more to try and design out crime.
00:10I used as the example last year, the progress made with, you know,
00:14the theft of stereos in cars or TomTom satellite, satellite,
00:18satellite machines and so forth.
00:20And they've taken on the challenge using AI, using sensors.
00:24That means if you've got an Android phone and you download this software,
00:27if somebody does steal your phone,
00:28if somebody does rob your phone, God forbid,
00:31that phone is almost useless to the thief and the robber.
00:33Your data is protected,
00:35but you as a user have an easy way to deactivate your phone and make sure it's
00:40not used your data stolen.
00:42I actually want as the ultimate prize for secondhand stolen phones to be
00:46completely useless for the past,
00:49not to be used by organized criminals and others.
00:51That's why those who make phones,
00:54mobile phone companies need to do more still. At the same time,
00:57the police are working incredibly hard to targeting crime hotspots,
00:59targeting organized criminals,
01:01bearing down on those who steal phones to try and steal phones.
01:04It's just to an effort, you know, with the police and the phone companies.
01:07But what is it that's fueling the increase?
01:09Because there was a 50% jump in thefts last year.
01:12And are you making it enough of a priority?
01:16Well, across the country,
01:16you've seen a big increase in robberies and thefts of phones is a particular
01:20issue in London because of the tourist we have,
01:22the transit population and so forth.
01:23One out of three robberies is of a mobile phone,
01:26more than two out of three personal thefts of a mobile phone.
01:29So it's a big issue for me and for the police.
01:32We've got a robbery reduction partnership that's been set up,
01:34working with the police, working with other authorities,
01:35working with businesses, working with others.
01:38We now know from the data what the crime hotspots are.
01:40So there are police patrols,
01:42both over and covert targeting organized criminals.
01:46At the same time,
01:47we've got to recognize there's an incentive to steal a mobile phone because
01:49it's worth lots of money.
01:50There's an incentive for organized criminals to export these phones overseas.
01:54We've seen from work police have done.
01:55Some of these phones turn up being used in countries and other parts of the
01:59globe. That's why we're saying to the mobile phone companies,
02:02you've got to do much more.
02:03What Google have done over the last year is remarkable,
02:05but I think it's for the mobile phone companies to do even more.