Of course, this topic has come up before. Here's a couple of links:
https://ssl.keypicking.com/viewtopic.php?f=133&t=9044&hilit=Love+lockshttps://ssl.keypicking.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9090&hilit=Love+locksThe Toool viewpoint is on the second page of the first link.
My personal opinion is that people do some stupid things and this is one of 'em. The craze hasn't caught on in my area, although I'd hesitate to say that people have got more sense round here. If lovestruck idiots want to waste their money putting a padlock on a fence or 'tree'
provided for the purpose - fine. If they lock it to a bridge or other structure - whether public or privately owned - without permission, then they can't complain if it's removed.
As far as the lock being 'in use' goes, well, I would say it's not. Surely the point of a padlock is basically to join two objects securely together. Symbolic uses don't count.