Blocking stolen phones from the cloud can be done, should be done, won't be done

An opinion editorial critiques Apple and Google for resisting UK calls to extend IMEI-based blocking into their cloud ecosystems to render stolen phones unusable, arguing their reluctance stems from ecosystem and revenue incentives rather than security concerns. It contends that the current patchwork of digital identity protections enables fraud and places the burden on users, advocating for a federated, user-controlled identity framework, while expressing pessimism about industry-wide cooperation to reduce crime and improve consumer security.