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by kgwxd 2388 days ago
Is there any proof this features reduces theft?
2 comments

Yes.

"Comparing data in the six months before and after Apple released its anti-theft feature, police said iPhone robberies in San Francisco dropped 38 percent. In London, they fell 24 percent.

In New York City, robberies (which typically involve a threat of violence) of Apple products dropped 19 percent and grand larcenies of Apple products dropped 29 percent in the first five months of 2014, compared with the same time period from 2013, according to a report from the New York attorney general’s office, which included data from the New York City Police Department. By comparison, thefts of Samsung products increased 51 percent in the first five months of 2014, compared with the same period a year ago, the report said."

https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/antitheft-technolo...

There is a high correlation with activation lock becoming widespread and the decrease in phone theft. That's not proof, but...
Actually it is, if you are willing to assume that the arrival of activation lock was completely exogeneous.