modestlaw t1_ja88be2 wrote on February 27, 2023 at 4:02 PM

Reply to comment by Larsaf in Linux Now Officially Supports Apple Silicon by Avieshek

Apple will remove activation lock on a second hand machine with a proof of purchase, but they will explicitly refuse to do it if the computer uses Apple MDM (a feature only used by enterprise) even if you can demonstrate you lawfully received the machines from the company.

Hell, I'm sure these refurbishers would even be willing to pay $20 a machine to get it done. This isn't about protecting users, it's about controlling the volume of second hand MacBooks in the market

Larsaf t1_ja8kt3x wrote on February 27, 2023 at 5:24 PM

Oh, sure, Apple could build in a backdoor into their MDM. Surely nobody but honest buyers could ever use that. Or the FBI.

modestlaw t1_ja8m220 wrote on February 27, 2023 at 5:32 PM

The back door already exist.

Apple can already remove the lock, they just don't do it for enterprise machines

This isn't even an instance where information security is a concern, the drives are already wiped. This is to complete the factory reset and establish a new user.

And to get ahead of your "but what if its a stolen laptop" Apple already confirms the machine hasn't been stolen before unlocking them for non enterprise machines.

Larsaf t1_ja8mqts wrote on February 27, 2023 at 5:36 PM

Ohh, suuuure. That’s why Macs with MDM constantly get hacked, and nobody uses them anymore.

Edit: No, what Apple’s MDM has instead is a button to take all selected machines out of it. It’s the organizations using it that don’t want to use it. Stop pretending this is Apple’s fault.