If you are the genuine owner of an iPhone - regardless of whether you're the original owner - and the device has never been reported as stolen or lost, it's up to you what you do with the phone, isn't it? If you'd rather not own an expensive but useless table ornament, you have the right to decide whether or not to go ahead with an iCloud unlock. So, is Apple guilty of a crime, then? Or the carriers selling locked devices? When the Activation Lock screen occurs, you will have to type in your Apple ID and password. Activation Lock helps you keep your iPhone secure, even if someone steals your device, and can increase your chances of recovering it. Apple itself sells refurbished and unlocked devices. If the iPhone is stolen or lost, Activation Lock will turn on automatically if turning on Find My iPhone. Authorized device recyclers or repair shops then purchase these iPhones and iPads, and unlock iCloud on them before reselling them as refurbished devices. It’s what you might call a well-known secret. Here's another situation: carriers regularly sell used inventory from device upgrades or insurance claims at private auctions. There's a big difference.įor example, what if the person requesting an iCloud activation lock removal is the genuine owner of a pre-owned iPhone, has the bill of sale from the original owner and everything, but the owner neglected to dissociate their iCloud account with the device? In the event you lose your iPhone, the activation lock feature will help you trace it and/or recover stored. Activation lock automatically turns on when Find My iPhone is activated. However, just because an iCloud activation lock has been enabled on an iDevice using the Find My iPhone feature and the user wants it unlocked, it doesn't automatically mean the device is stolen. Apple activation lock is a security feature that prevents unauthorized people from accessing data stored in your iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) or using the device. An activation lock is applied to a device after Find My iPhone has been enabled, and in theory, this lock provides protection for the owner’s data on the phone. If an iPhone is stolen or reported lost by the owner and someone else is subsequently requesting an iCloud unlock, the circumstantial evidence would suggest that the phone is stolen. The question of legality here is highly nuanced. There's been quite a bit of confusion around whether or not an iCloud unlock is legal or not, so we'll attempt to clarify to the best of our ability.