Apple Pulls Advanced Data Protection From the UK, in Defiance of UK Demand for Global Backdoor

Gruber: Apple Pulls Advanced Data Protection From the UK, in Defiance of UK Demand for Global Backdoor

Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users and current UK users will eventually need to disable this security feature. ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices. We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy. Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before. 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. As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will. […] The law, known by critics as the Snoopers’ Charter, makes it a criminal offense to reveal that the government has even made such a demand. […] Rather than comply, Apple is choosing instead to pull Advanced Data Protection from the UK. For UK users not already using ADP, the ability to enable it was already turned off before Apple’s statement was sent. This report from BBC News has a screenshot of what UK users see if they attempt to enable it today.

Whenever a government makes this kind of request they’re exposing the people they must serve and protect to all kinds of security issues.

Privacy means privacy for everyone, especially governments which already have an insurmountable power over any individual, to be able to scoop into their most private and intimate bubble, where we store our most important stuff.

Whenever someone uses their phone for something really bad, they may use an iPhone but if not, they’ll use anything else. This demand from the UK government puts in danger most individuals to corner some, which if in need will switch to a more private or difficult to track option.

Not only that, but the UK demands to scoop any Apple customer from anywhere in the world, and without telling anyone, at any moment, that the UK made use of this backdoor. Why they think they can do something like this is beyond me.

Years ago I read somewhere:

No company is going to defend the people’s privacy over their own profit margin

While the response of Apple may say otherwise for the moment, this sets a bad precedent. If more governments follow the same path, users from other countries will also be forced to stop using end to end encryption to protect their private stuff. That makes them more vulnerable to anyone.