> IMHO this is Apple trying to force people to purchase new devices and prevent reuse.
Assuming you know your Apple ID password, disabling Activation Lock takes less than 30 seconds. You can even do it remotely via Find My on the web.
It hasn't exactly curtailed the legitimate iPhone resale market in the ~seven years that it's been on by default, either, though it did produce a dramatic drop in people getting their phone snatched from their pocket[1].
1. https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/11/apples-activation-lock-lea...