Apple has removed its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom after government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg.
In a very stupid (IMHO) move, on February 7, The British government has ordered that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud. The Washington Post (a subscription is required to read the article) said the secret order requires blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world and, if implemented, would undermine Apple’s privacy pledge to users,
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 Bloomberg. 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.”
From the article: One of the people briefed on the situation, a consultant advising the United States on encryption matters, said Apple would be barred from warning its users that its most advanced encryption no longer provided full security. The person deemed it shocking that the UK government was demanding Apple’s help to spy on non-British users without their governments’ knowledge. A former White House security adviser confirmed the existence of the British order.
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