Apple has removed its strongest iCloud data protection for customers in the UK,Pilar Coll as a refusal to comply with a government order demanding backdoor access to user data.
Apple has a security feature called Advanced Data Protection, which offers end-to-end data encryption of files and backups stored in iCloud — meaning only the owner can decrypt and access the data. But now, Apple users in the UK are left without this option because of a dispute between the tech giant and their government. According to The Washington Post, the UK government order demanded blanket access to Apple users' encrypted iCloud data.
SEE ALSO: Encryption backdoors violate human rights, EU court rulesInstead of complying with the demands, Apple subsequently pulled the ADP tool altogether. "We have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will," Apple said in a statement to Bloomberg, which first reported the story.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
UK-based users who haven't enabled ADP will no longer be able to add this protection. Those who already have ADP enabled will be given a grace period to disable the setting and guidance on how to adjust to the privacy change, Apple told Mashable. Under default iCloud data protections, data from apps like Health, iMessage, Keychain are still end-to-end encrypted. You can see the full list here.
Apple's decision leaves UK users' data more vulnerable, as would have complying with the order. Removing access to their most advanced version of data protection voluntarily is Apple's way of saying they won't participate in granting access to private data for the sake of government oversight. Apple "remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom," the statement continued.
Privacy and free speech advocates have praised the move for not bending to what they believe is an invasive law, which they say could establish a dangerous precedent for any government seeking access private data. "You can’t be tech-friendly while eroding the foundation of cybersecurity on which robust tech depends," said Signal President Meredith Whittaker in a statement to Reuters. "Encryption is not a luxury - it is a fundamental human right essential to a free society that also happens to underpin the global economy."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
But still, the fact that Apple was forced to respond to the UK government in some way has users concerned about their suddenly vulnerable private data. The move has people wondering if its grounds for a breach of contract lawsuit, since privacy protection is a longstanding tent pole of Apple's products and services.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Apple has a long history of battling over government requests for user data. Several times, the company has refused law enforcement requests to unlock the iPhones of suspected mass shooters, once in 2016, and another time in 2020.
UPDATE: Feb. 23, 2025, 2:19 p.m. EST This story has been updated to include statements from Apple.
Topics Apple Privacy
The Sound and the “Furious”
On Liberated Women Looking for Love by The Paris Review
Basilica by Cynthia Zarin
Ina Cariño, Poetry by Ina Cariño
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 14
'True Detective: Night Country' and the Dyatlov Pass incident, explained
Basilica by Cynthia Zarin
Dell vs HP: Which laptop brand is right for you?
Whale Vomit Episode 5: Startup Monarchy
Southwest flights are just $39 if booked by Jan. 25
Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth
Diary, 1995 by Melissa Febos
26 billion records have been leaked in 'Mother of all Breaches,' but don't freak out
Redux: The Poet’s Nerve by The Paris Review
Anker raises Amazon prices amid US tariffs
Announcing the Winners of 92Y's 2022 Discovery Contest by The Paris Review
A new Pope has been chosen. Here's what his X posts say about him.
Wordle today: The answer and hints for January 23
Asus VivoWatch 6 AERO measures blood pressure and ECG
Oscars 2024: The 7 biggest snubs from the Academy Award nominations
'Crazy Rich Asians' star Henry Golding was discovered by an accountantHow an antiTrump says 'system is rigged' after FBI recommends no charges for ClintonYour Android phone pings Google a lot more then you might thinkHow an antiUber and Lyft race way ahead of car'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice' kicked my assWhat to know about the rare, powerful hurricane heading for Hawaii'Crazy Rich Asians' is getting its sequel – and it's great news for one fanXiaomi's Pocophone F1 is crazy cheap for what it offersStar Wars fans, stop trying to make Rey's parents a thingThis artist does the most detailed pen drawings you've ever seenHuawei, ZTE banned from Australia's 5G network over security concernsFather accidentally kills 14The eastern bettong is an adorable Aussie animal that just wants your loveTwitch is running multiple Pokémon marathons from now until 2019'Chewing Gum' star Michaela Coel speaks out about sexual assaultDonald Trump criticizes, praises Saddam Hussein in the same breathNASA spacecraft OSIRISPeople queued up at a food truck while stuck in traffic in Los Angeles Gravity Falls creator has the best troll of Trump's voter hotline yet Digital Diary, and Other News by Sadie Stein Nothing Phone 2 has an official launch date Dear Enemy by Sadie Stein Trump's 'Four Seasons' debacle brought out all the Yelp comedians Kid Gloves by Michael McGrath The NYRB Fiftieth Anniversary Kickoff, in Tweets by Sadie Stein Trump's voter fraud hotline shut down due to all the prank calls February in Chicago by A Down the Rabbit Hole by Sadie Stein Virginia Woolf, on Pancakes and Porridge by Sadie Stein 6 easy baking recipes that are super simple to make in stressful times Going Soft by Nathan Deuel On This Day by Sadie Stein Dr. Seuss’s Hats, and Other News by Sadie Stein The Poetics of Football by Ariel Lewiton Meet Joe Biden's dogs: Champ and Major See what Google's AI Twitter celebrates dogs coming back to the White House Google is releasing a new, AI
1.6631s , 10132.6015625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Pilar Coll】,Information Information Network