Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac:

Apple has inexplicably removed the iCloud Activation Lock status page, which used to exist at iCloud.com/activationlock, but that URL now leads to a 404 error instead. The utility let anyone type in the IMEI or serial number of an iOS device to find out if Activation Lock had been turned off, handy to verify the authenticity of a seller when buying a used iPhone online.

Not clear why this has happened. Wondering if the tool was being misused in some way. I suspect the story will emerge over the next few days. Keep an eye out.

UPDATE: And here’s the proof, a video that shows how to unlock an iPad by cloning the iPad drive and changing the serial number to a valid unlocked serial number, one checked/validated using the Apple activation lock tool (about 5:28 into the video).

[Big hat tip to Loop reader Robert Davey]