Actually you do indeed have that right. You also have the right to duck when a fist comes flying at your face should you choose to make such comments.
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Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands
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Unless I am mistaken, if you use iCloud backup (and almost everyone does) all that data is included in the backup, and therefore Apple has the keys and can give them to the UK if asked. Messages being “end to end encrypted” doesn’t matter if the UK can just get a full backup of your phone, right?
Would love to know that I’m wrong.
Yeah, so in that case the 9to5Mac article posted is extremely misleading. That's like the government saying "Sure we unlocked your house and can enter at any time, but it's fine because all your valuables are still in your safe in the basement" without noting that the safe manufacturer has to give them the key if the government asks.
If this is well publicized and stays in the news, it could make a lot of voters shun Labour. Privacy and liberty are constantly being eroded in the name of safety.
I suspect those doing illegal activities will just use other encryption tools whilst all of Apples customers loose a layer of protection. Especially concerning for journalist, politicians and famous people.
I suspect those doing illegal activities will just use other encryption tools whilst all of Apples customers loose a layer of protection. Especially concerning for journalist, politicians and famous people.
The crux of the issue is that privacy is, like any other issue, a bundle of compromises.
For example, an iPhone with a larger battery is also a thicker and heavier device. No one can really say which is the "right" way to design a phone or what features matter and which don't.
I don't think there is any government entity who would be fine with their civilian populace walking around with devices that cannot be accessed under any conditions. Up till now, Apple walked that fine line by not offering backdoors into their devices (at least none that we know of), but cloud storage wasn't, and the UK was all right with this middle ground.
It's debatable whether Apple violated this "unspoken truce" by offering ADL, prompting a response by the British authorities. At the same time, I stress that Apple does not exist to fight anyone's political battles for them. As such, I do not think any less of Apple for refusing to leave the UK over this matter (they have ultimately stayed in the EU despite the DMA), and rolling back said feature was ultimately the best response Apple could have made given the circumstances, IMO.
If Apple can't offer an encrypted cloud service, then they simply won't offer it at all.
Exactly right Apple is indeed complying with mass surveillance of UK users, it's claim as always and that we've always known that it is good for privacy and has been and always will be a lie, since the bean counter took over Apple has not put its users first it has put the dollar first. Rather than doing the right thing and pulling out of UK completely to make a stand against this kind of stuff or at least removing all forms of iCloud from the UK except iMessage and not actually selling the product at all it chose the surveillance route, Apple is now irreparably damaged within the UK, a lot of people in my family own iPhones and they're all saying now they will not be buying another one, my elderly parents are due for new phones as their iPhone XR are nearly at the end of life my father says he will be buying an android next time, I pay for privacy with Apple when you're not getting there you might just as well buy an android for half the price. Shame on you Apple, and shame on the Trump administration for allowing this, Trump is a strong president he should've stood firm and refused to point blank and told the British government where to go
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With Statement like this so you can see why governments believe they can get away with anything, the population are completely compliant
I guess that I have simply come to accept that this, as with so many other things in life, is a bundle of compromises at the end of the day.
Nobody likes being told that they can't have it all. It's like smartphones. Some prefer more battery life, some prefer a thinner and lighter device, some would rather have removable batteries while others want a unibody design. Some want a smaller form factor, others want the largest possible display. You want to be able to sideload whatever apps you want, yet at the same time, developers complain about piracy and malware.
These are all mutually-exclusive design considerations. Neither extreme is desirable, and who is to say what the right "middle ground" is? This is something that is going to differ from citizen to citizen based on their own values and lived experiences.
We all live in a society, and part of that means each of us gives up something for the common good. Sometimes, some more than others.
The fact that you're talking about loving the Constitution and the right to privacy while propping up JD Vance is the funniest **** I've heard all week.
Laughable.
And this comes from a government who can't even keep their own data safe, yet they want access to everyone else's. Back in 2021 classified Ministry of Defence documents containing details about HMS Defender and the British military were found at a bus stop in Kent, and plenty more like this.
My question is dear reader; if one is transiting through UK to say, the EU, would this rule break one’s ADP/iCloud? I assume this would be tied to where one’s phone is registered, area code, etc.
Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after UK officials secretly ordered Apple to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud content worldwide.
Customers who are already using Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, will need to manually disable it during an unspecified grace period to keep their iCloud accounts, according to the report. Apple said it will issue additional guidance in the future to affected users and that it "does not have the ability to automatically disable it on their behalf."
The UK government's demand came through a "technical capability notice" under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), requiring Apple to create a backdoor that would allow British security officials to access encrypted user data globally. The order would have compromised Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, which provides end-to-end encryption for iCloud data including Photos, Notes, Messages backups, and device backups.
Apple's decision to pull the feature rather than comply with the UK's demands is consistent with the company's previous statements that it would consider withdrawing encrypted services from the UK rather than compromise security. Apple has long opposed creating backdoors in its products, maintaining that such access points would inevitably be discovered by malicious actors.
Notice UK iCloud users now see after the feature was pulled
The UK order was particularly controversial as it would have required Apple to provide access to data from users outside the UK without their governments' knowledge. Additionally, the IPA makes it illegal for companies to disclose the existence of such government demands.
US security agencies, including the FBI and NSA, have been advocating for increased use of encryption to protect against Chinese cyber threats, creating potential conflicts between UK and US security interests.
"Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before,” said Apple on Friday, per Bloomberg. The company added that it "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."
Note that the loss of Advanced Data Protection in the UK does not affect the existing end-to-end encryption of several other Apple features available in the country, including iMessage, FaceTime, password management and health data.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Article Link: Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands
Thanks. But the items stored within the iCloud can be accessed by Apple without ADP?
I bit the bullet and activated it. Doing so I severed iCloud connections with an older iPhone SE (5 wifi only cell disconnected) and a 2014 iPad Mini. A much older 2008 MacBook and a 2009 MacBook Pro I use for local specialized tasks have never worked with iCloud and I like that. I can still get on internet with them.
Time to migrate to certain Asian countries where dictatorship rules and encryption is illegal.
The last bit is what government officials either will never understand, or will refuse to understand.
Sounds like people will have a period of time where they will be able to disable ADP on their own and keep their account and then after a period defined by Apple if they chose to not disable it, they will lose access to their account and Apple potentially will delete all the data associated with that account to comply with law.
Very chilling effect here as if the UK tried this other countries will most certainly do the same.
It's significantly LESS likely since the election.
Freedom of speech does not have to be enshrined in law. Not everything you can do needs to be written into legislation. The default situation in the UK is you can do anything you like, including speaking, unless you are committing an offence or tort.
There are specific offences where untrammelled speech can result in prosecution. For example, defamation. If you lie about someone in the UK, and your lies destroy their reputation or livelihood, you can expect a lawsuit. If you incite racial hatred, you can definitely, and quite rightly, expect a knock on the door from Mr Plod.
When I’ve seen that phrase used, it’s referred to the consequences doled out by private individuals and businesses upon those who say or do objectionable things. The government cannot infringe upon your rights, but that doesn’t absolve you from societal retribution. A common example is someone spewing hateful speech toward someone else. While you won’t suffer legal consequences, you can be shunned, terminated by your employer, etc.
There isn’t. Apple can’t unencrypt your data. That has never changed. Only the user can disable this feature if they are already using it.
You don’t live there, and if you do you live in some rural village that hasn’t seen any immigrants at all apart for a polish potwash in the local boozer. That is so clear. You’re falling for the narrative, and you’re petrified of monsters in the dark. Grow up, read a little more varied information, and stop blaming the bogeyman for whatever you’re told to blame them for.
Until they are hit by police for “comments”, they will never realise what they have lost forever by supporting such a law.
In case you haven’t noticed already, UK government has forced Apple to pull ADP out of UK, meaning users will be forced to disable it to keep their iCloud accounts.