Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands

[jseymour]

You do not have the right to make abusive, hateful, racist comments to others.

I do here in the U.S., where there are free speech protections written into our Constitution. Protections that have been repeatedly affirmed by our Supreme Court.

It’s obvious to any grown-up with a functioning moral compass what is going to be taken as offence to the person they’re directing it to.

Is it now? Ever heard of the term "misgendering?"

1. I wouldn’t say anything that would be offensive to your religion to you.

Good for you. I, likewise, would not be inclined to do so, either, unless provoked.

Of course, what provokes me is entirely subjective—just like what others may find offensive is.

2. The law would punish anyone from doing so, so it’s there to protect YOU, just as much as it’s there to protect THEM, from YOUR hate speech. See how that works?

I'm a grown-up boy. I wear big boy pants and everything. I've long outgrown the need for somebody else to protect me from the verbal slings and arrows of others.

I neither need nor want a nanny to protect me from the verbal assaults of others.

3. I don’t decide what is, or is not offensive, or that falls within a legal description of hate speech. But I don’t need to walk around with a cooy of the rules, since being an adult I use a thing called common sense.

You are hopelessly naive. That is not an insult. That is my opinion, based upon what I perceive as your view of the world.

This is WILD! Absolutely unbelievable! UK residents why do you allow your government to do this? Wow....

See above. There's your answer. Too many like that in a position to vote. That's how. And they didn't "allow" it. They asked for it.

Yeah: I don't understand it, either.

The only reason Herr Starmer and his Internet Storm Troopers are getting pushback now is they attempted to extend their speech and thought policing to the entire planet. A non-UK company and non-UK citizens are telling them to sod off.

 

[Morgenland]

What Brexit? We haven’t had it yet. We do have over 6000 laws and regulations the British government copy and pasted from the EU statutory books into the UK statutory books, promising to change them, eventually.

That's how Brexit works, sorry to say

 

[visualseed]

I'm in the UK and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I wasn't even aware of ADP. Nobody I know is aware of it either. What sort of things are people doing that they feel they need such security?

Once they start mining data for crimes you can be swept up in all kinds of things you didn't expect were "crimes" or even wrong. Just fitting the profile of someone's theory of what a bad actor is can put you in a world hurt with little to no legal recourse.

 

[I7guy]

They're in the right for removing the ability to encrypt our data? No, they are not. It's also massively hypocritical that a company that talks to much about privacy and "no, we won't help you break into the phone" removes encryption and doesn't stand firm on what they claim is a principle.

Criticism for criticisms sake. Apple has to obey all local laws or exit. There would be a criticism for Apple no matter what.

If it was really a principle, they would've said "no, or we'll leave."

I think you know why this is folly, although if they made such a decision I would support it.

Do you understand my complaint now or do you just disagree with it?

Totally disagree. Horses for courses.

 

[Cervisia]

THIS is what Fascism brings…. America is next and all thanks to Orange He Lur.

So the left is fascist? Thanks, noted.

 

[B4U]

What in the bloody world, my mate across the ocean?

 

[Fred Zed]

So stuff stored on the iCloud without ADP is basically open more or less. Interesting how he mentions it was a secret request to Apple by the UK gov which was leaked. Who knows how many secret requests the USA Gov has asked and completed so far with Meta or Google in the USA but hasn’t been leaked. Hence we don’t know about it.

 

[JSRinUK]

And to think I’ve been musing upgrading my iCloud to a larger storage amount. I shan’t be bothering now.

 

[370zulu]

This sucks, but reaffirms my decision to limit my cloud storage to data that is nondescript and never trust others with data that I would not want public. I learned a long time ago, when it leaves your device you have zero control of what someone else does with it. Never trust others with your private data. It is truly non of their business despite what they believe.

 

[Ctrlos]

Not to mention that it’s extremely easy to just use another service. Any criminal using iCloud to mastermind their deeds is probably a bit stupid at the best of times. They are certainly not child abuse rings or terrorist organisations, which is what is implied to force these types of legislations.

Exactly. They’ll already be using Signal or some other thing.

 

[steve333]

The EU and the UK have turned into China. This is one reason why Right Wing Groups are gaining in popularity.
Boris got thrown out of office for throwing a party. The UK needs to rise up and throw Starmer out of office.
The rest of the EU is suffering the same fate. They are already dealing with mass immigration from people who hate the West and have suffered increasing crime rates. Get rid of the Leftwing Governments and the Moderates need to show some balls.

 

[Ctrlos]

As usual 9to5 Mac have some clear heads on the issue.

Everything you need to know about Apple's changes to encryption in the UK - 9to5Mac

Apple today announced that it has removed its Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK. The decision comes after the...

9to5mac.com

 

[steve333]

I don't use iCloud. Never trusted it, never needed it.

 

[steve333]

The UK needs a revolution

 

[cupcakes2000]

Germany and other countries need to rise up and throw Starmer out of office

Ignoring the rest of your ridiculous post, how do you possibly think any other country can ‘throw out’ another country’s leader? If that could happen I’m pretty sure Trump would be gone by now.

 

[verdi1987]

Who knows how many secret requests the USA Gov has asked and completed so far with Meta or Google in the USA but hasn’t been leaked. Hence we don’t know about it.

The tech companies all publish reports on FISA requests from the U.S. government. (It’s a lot.)

 

[steve333]

Ignoring the rest of your ridiculous post, how do you possibly think any other country can ‘throw out’ another country’s leader? If that could happen I’m pretty sure Trump would be gone by now.

I didn't phrase that properly, I will fix it

 

[JuicyGoomba]

Even worse is that this was a law passed by the previous Tory government before they got the boot, the very government in bed with Russia.

Like every other time Labour go into power, they deal with the Tory fallout and subsequently get the blame for it. And then 4 years later the Tories are back in power.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Even worse is that this was a law passed by the previous Tory government before they got the boot, the very government in bed with Russia.

Like every other time Labour go into power, they deal with the Tory fallout and subsequently get the blame for it. And then 4 years later the Tories are back in power.

Very true. I have to say this Labour government is over stepping the mark on several fronts though. I’m not a fan, even if still a supporter of the principles of the Labour Party. Still rather a lot better than any other choices though.

 

[steve333]

In that case you have a free for all. Sooner or later it will badly affect you and you will ask why nothing was done to stop it.

Tommy Robinson was thrown in jail for exposing the Pakistani rape gangs that the UK Government did nothing about.
A man recently got thrown in Jail for waving the Union Jack because authorities said he was provoking immigrants.
Is this what you want?

 

[verdi1987]

Will the average normie even know or care?

Likely not. Outside of techies and security experts, I’d wager that most users don’t know what E2EE is or why it’s important. Even many of the commenters here, who are on average more technologically savvy than most, do not have ADP enabled.

Criminals will have already moved on to apps that do support E2EE.

 

[surferfb]

Criminals will have already moved on to apps that do support E2EE.

And that’s the ridiculous part. Do we really think terrorists are keeping the top secret plan just sitting in iCloud? Or are we all giving up fundamental privacy so the UK government can catch the stupid terrorists.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

 

[sergekills]

Wow! Apple is so brave throwing all the reputation they have been building under the bus! Good job, Apple!

 

[Mike Boreham]

So stuff stored on the iCloud without ADP is basically open more or less.

No. Read The 9to5 article carefully.

 

[surferfb]

Wow! Apple is so brave throwing all the reputation they have been building under the bus! Good job, Apple!

How people can see this situation and come to the conclusion that it’s Apple’s fault blows my mind. Seriously, what would you have them do? Defy the government and have Tim Cook sent to jail? Immediately leave the UK market entirely? The latter would involve turning off iCloud for everyone in the UK, laying off thousands of people, stopping sales without being able to say why - likely angering a large portion of their UK customer base in the process.

This is entirely what I expected Apple to do as a first step. Widely publicize they’re pulling the feature, and hopefully put pressure on the government. If the government continues to demand access to everyone’s data, then you use the pull out of the UK card.

Ben Thompson called this a week and a half ago

This is how I think it will go. First, I strongly suspect that these stories were a leak from Apple in order to engender pressure on the U.K. to back down. I suggest they do so. Second, if they don’t, then Apple will withdraw encrypted storage from the U.K., and hopefully they say why; this could include withdrawing iMessage as well (although that won’t be that big of a deal). This won’t, of course, satisfy the U.K.’s worldwide demands; if the U.K. presses forward then I would expect Apple to exit the country.