BREAKING: Apple is pulling its end-to-end encryption feature — Advanced Data Protection — in the UK, in a stunning development after the government ordered the company to build a backdoor to user data. Apple is not complying.
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“Apple is not complying.”
Apple is complying. They've turned off the feature for UK customers.
Not complying would be to continue to allow phones in the UK to use the feature, possibly shutdown all UK-based Apple infrastructure, and force the UK government to entirely block Apple phones from contacting Apple's servers outside the UK.
They're not complying in with building in a backdoor. But I agree, shutting off icloud entirely in the UK would have been the move I wanted to see too.
They're complying by making the backdoor irrelevant. The only way they didn't comply is by ignoring the truly absurd part of the order to backdoor users globally, which was never going to fly.
And no, I did not say they should shut off iCloud in the UK. They should continue to allow people in the UK to use iCloud, and the advanced encryption feature. Right now they're reportedly adding code to detect UK-based phones and prevent them from using these features.
Wow! Apple has just given a freehand to the government. Now government can easily get inside phones in the UK.
Makes a pretty good case for building your own “cloud” backup.
Nextcloud on a start9 seems like a convenient solution.
GrapheneOS next.
Apple has removed its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature for UK users following a government request for backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data. ADP, introduced in late 2022, provided end-to-end encryption for iCloud files, ensuring only account holders could access their data. The UK government's demand, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, required Apple to grant authorities access to encrypted content stored in iCloud. In response, Apple disabled ADP for new UK users and informed existing users that they would eventually need to disable the feature to continue using their iCloud accounts. Apple emphasized its commitment to user privacy, stating it will not build backdoors or master keys for its products or services.
THE TIMES
Apple Removes Encryption Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Request