Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row
-
"Apple is taking the unprecedented step of removing its highest level data security tool from customers in the UK, after the government demanded access to user data."
"It means eventually not all UK customer data stored on iCloud - Apple's cloud storage service - will be fully encrypted.
Data with standard encryption is accessible by Apple and shareable with law enforcement, if they have a warrant."
-
@wintercoast A company which can disable security features by remote is a risk for all users which need privacy and security.
But UK does not need to respect EU laws. The brexited to be freed from EU laws.
I guess foreign and local journalist should be more frightened and threatened by such backdors in Apple products.
-
I've never liked Apple's walled garden approach. I preferred the freedom of Windows, even if it had a "wild west" aspect to it, and now I prefer Linux above both of them. I prefer Android to IOS for the same reason. And from what I've seen, iCloud on Windows is a disaster, almost like they're trying to force people to buy Macs.
-
@DoctorG This is the fault of the UK government. Apple either had to comply (without telling anybody about it) or be fined or prosecuted; or withdraw completely from the UK market. Obviously they weren't going to do the latter. So they decided to withdraw this feature, which is opt-in btw - I expect most people were unaware it existed. I have an iPad. I didn't know about it but I also don't use iCloud. I'm not in the Apple ecosystem.
The UK gov has had this legislation on the books for almost 10 years and they've generally been pretty authoritarian on this kind of stuff. In fact the Online Safety Act appears to be even worse than the EU's Digital Services Act (the latter does have some good features).
There is no backdoor in Apple products. The point is that the UK government wanted one, but Apple said no.
In terms of sharing with law enforcement (and the vendors themselves), that is already a feature of the Big Tech Clouds - iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox.
That's why, e.g., Google has been able to censor shared documents on Goggle Drive on numerous occasions,
-
Cornered by the UK’s Demand for an Encryption Backdoor, Apple Turns Off Its Strongest Security Setting
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/cornered-uks-demand-encryption-backdoor-apple-turns-its-strongest-security-settingUK’s iCloud Encryption Crackdown Explained: Your Questions Answered on Apple’s Decision and How it Affects You
https://reclaimthenet.org/uk-apple-encryption-privacy-explainedApple pulls iCloud end-to-end encryption feature in the UK
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-pulls-icloud-end-to-end-encryption-feature-in-the-uk/The software UK techies need to protect themselves now Apple's ADP won’t
https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/24/apple_adp_replacements_e2ee/Find alternatives rated by the users
https://alternativeto.net/software/icloud/ -
-
@Catweazle That looks interesting. I'll have to explore that. I already use another cloud with those features, except only half the free storage. It has a network drive as well. I can add it to my automated backup schedule, and make it drive No. 4.
Update: I've now added it to my automated backup schedule. So I'm now using two regular and two encrypted, zero knowledge cloud storages.
Thanks @Catweazle.
-
Update: Apple vs. UK Government: The Legal Battle Over Encryption and Privacy
Apple is engaged in a high-stakes legal dispute with the UK government, challenging an official directive that requires the company to create a covert access point—commonly referred to as a “backdoor”—within its encrypted services. The tech giant has taken its case to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), a specialized court that reviews legal complaints involving UK intelligence agencies.
This case marks the first significant opposition to the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) of 2016, a law that authorizes the UK government to demand that tech companies bypass encryption protections.
-
@wintercoast I discovered today that I was almost up to my 10 GB free limit, which didn't make sense in my scenario. Then I discovered it was saving versions by default. I don't need versions, so I disabled and deleted them all.
So, something to be aware of for anyone else who might use this.
However, I also use Sync cloud storage, which gives less space for free (though you can get more via recommendations). It stores a version history for up to 30 days but it does not count against your storage.
When you restore a previous version, it replaces the current version of the file. The current version is then archived as a new previous version.
The restored version will now take up space in your storage, just like any other active file.
