As protests continue across the U.S., a week on from the death of George Floyd while under arrest in Minneapolis on May 25, those campaigning against “police brutality” have condemned as “opportunistic” the violence that has escalated across the country. Sunday saw “a fifth straight of rioting and looting, resulting in another wave of arrests.” Apple, among other high-end retailers, has seen its fair share of attacks and has now taken action to protect staff and prevent further damage.
Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a message to his employees as those protests escalated, saying that “there is a pain deeply etched in the soul of our nation and in the hearts of millions. To stand together, we must stand up for one another, and recognize the fear, hurt, and outrage rightly provoked by the senseless killing of George Floyd and a much longer history of racism.”
Cook went on to say that “at Apple, our mission has and always will be to create technology that empowers people to change the world for the better. We’ve always drawn strength from our diversity, welcomed people from every walk of life to our stores around the world, and strived to build an Apple that is inclusive of everyone.”
It has long been known that Apple operates some form of proximity software that disables a device when it is taken illegally from a store. Until now, though, little had been seen of that technology in action. Well, thanks to social media, we can now see the message that greets a looter powering up their new device: “This device has been disabled and is being tracked,” it says. “Local authorities will be alerted…” Forbes