Apple ‘Deactivated and Tracked’ iPhones Stolen During France Riots as Losses Could Hit £1 Billion

iPhones reportedly stolen during riots and looting in France displayed warnings that the devices had been deactivated and were being tracked, footage shared on X on 21 October showed.

The unrest has also left thousands of businesses affected, with insured losses potentially approaching €1.2 billion, according to estimates from insurance analysts.

The footage, shared by Visegrád 24, shows a handset displaying a French-language message asking for its return to an Apple shop and warning that it has been deactivated and is being tracked. The post described the message as 'Device deactivated and tracked'.

Apple iPhones Display Tracking Warnings After French Looting

The footage has drawn attention to the security measures that can make stolen electronics difficult to use. A phone taken from a shop is not necessarily a usable prize if access has been disabled.

However, the video does not establish the circumstances in which the handset was taken, how many devices received similar warnings or whether the tracking information helped police identify any suspects.

Those details remain unconfirmed in the material accompanying the post.

The distinction matters. A warning displayed on a screen can indicate that a device has been disabled and tracking is active, but it does not prove that a thief has been identified or arrested.

Apple's response has not been established by the supplied footage. Without a company statement or further technical evidence, the precise circumstances behind the warning and the extent of the security measures used in this incident remain unclear.

France Riot Losses Could Approach €1.2 Billion

The wider financial picture is potentially more consequential than the individual incident. Visegrád 24 said insured losses from the recent riots and looting could reach €1.2 billion, with around 3,000 storefronts vandalised or looted.

That figure is a projection rather than a final assessment. The post does not identify the underlying insurance report, explain how the estimate was calculated or provide a breakdown of the losses. It should therefore be treated as a reported upper-end estimate, not a confirmed total.

The distinction between damaged premises and insured losses also matters. A shop can suffer physical damage, lose stock and experience disruption to trading, but those consequences do not necessarily translate into an equivalent insurance payout.

The supplied post does not detail how much of the projected figure relates to property damage, stolen goods or other costs.

For businesses affected by looting, the immediate consequences are more tangible. Damaged premises may need repairs, missing stock must be accounted for and trading can be interrupted while owners assess what has happened.

Visegrád 24 said the losses could make the unrest the most expensive civil disturbance in mainland French history if the estimate reaches its upper limit. That comparison remains conditional. The post does not provide the historical figures needed to independently verify the claim, nor does it establish that the final insured losses will reach €1.2 billion.

The available material also leaves important questions unanswered. There is no confirmed figure for the number of stolen iPhones displaying the warning, no evidence that Apple's tracking resulted in arrests and no official response from Apple, French police or insurers included in the supplied source.

Until those details are established, both the effectiveness of the phone security measures and the final financial cost remain open questions.