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The stolen iPhone came with an unwelcome message: It had been disabled and was being tracked.
Footage circulating after the looting of an Apple store in Lille reportedly shows a handset displaying a warning asking for its return to the shop and saying authorities would be alerted. Reports of the message have offered a striking glimpse of the aftermath of France’s unrest: Getting a phone out of a store does not necessarily mean being able to use it.
The footage does not establish how many stolen devices were disabled or whether their tracking led to any arrests. But the reported warning has attracted attention as retailers across France assess damage from a weekend of looting, arson, and violence.
Apple blocked iPhones stolen by looters in France. Screens displayed: “Device deactivated and tracked” Insured losses from the recent riots and looting are projected to reach up to €1.2 billion, with 3,000 storefronts vandalized or looted. If losses hit that ceiling, it will become the most expensive civil unrest event in mainland French history.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 21, 2026
Apple’s Lille store was among the businesses targeted on Oct. 17, with AFP journalists witnessing looting there and at shops in other French cities. The unrest followed demonstrations over high living costs and deteriorating public services.
Behind the viral phone footage is a much larger bill.
Around 3,000 businesses were affected nationwide, according to reporting by the Financial Times. The damage extended beyond technology shops to luxury retailers and other businesses, leaving owners facing stolen stock, wrecked premises, and disrupted trading.
Morningstar DBRS expects insured losses to remain below €1.2 billion, provided there is no further widespread rioting. The estimate covers damage to commercial and public property, including shops, municipal buildings, and vehicles.
The agency says the losses would make a substantial dent in insurers’ earnings but would be unlikely, on their own, to threaten the financial strength of France’s major insurance companies. The final bill will depend on the extent of the destruction and claims for business interruptions.
If losses reach €1.2 billion, the unrest would produce the largest insured loss from civil disorder recorded in mainland France, according to reporting by ChosunBiz. That remains a possible outcome rather than a confirmed total.
*Source: AFP, Financial Times, Euronews
