After the United Kingdom demanded that Apple create a backdoor that would allow government officials globally to spy on encrypted data, Apple decided to simply turn off encryption services in the UK rather than risk exposing its customers to snooping.
Apple had previously allowed end-to-end encryption of data on UK devices through its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) tool, but that ended Friday, a spokesperson said in a lengthy statement.
"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," Apple said.
The UK Investigatory Powers Act has been dubbed a "Snooper's Charter," the Financial Times reported, granting the UK government powers to "access the encrypted data of Apple customers anywhere in the world, including in the US."
According to Apple, complying with the UK law could have enabled not just government officials but also bad actors to gain access to encrypted data. Critics, including the US tech industry group, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, had further warned that the recent Salt Typhoon breach had made it clear that "end-to-end encryption may be the only safeguard standing between Americans' sensitive personal and business data and foreign adversaries."
"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," Apple said. "Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before."
For UK Apple users, some data can still be encrypted. iCloud Keychain and Health, iMessage, and FaceTime will remain end-to-end encrypted by default. But other iCloud services will not be encrypted, effective immediately, including iCloud Backup, iCloud Drive, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts, Voice memos, Wallet passes, and Freeform.
In the future, Apple hopes to restore data protections in the UK, but the company refuses to ever build a backdoor for government officials.
"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," Apple said. "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."
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The eternal bong strikes again
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Apple is the last real tech company left
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You mean Tesla
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rdrama
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Why are Angloid countries obsessed with nanny-state bullshit like this?
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Too many foreigners who aren't integrating to the point of serious worry for the glowies in the back.
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!britbongs explain yourselves right meow
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Clement Attlee began the nanny state with the NHS and the Town & country planning act, both of which were nakedly bitter anti-private sector bills designed to attack certain wealthy people.
Thatcher tried to stem the tide, but it was just socialist c*nt after socialist c*nt for decades
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Zero British politicians understand how any technology works
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Why would His Royal Majesty not want to know what his subjects are up to? He has heard there are some shenanigans afoot, after all.
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Meanwhile US chads can put gag order on companies disclosing requests for backdoor. Another L for the cuck island commies, publicly humiliated and defeated.
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good point
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One should never expect any corporate-built messaging service to be private. Use one that has that guaranteed functionality or just expect that governments can access all your peepee pics if they so choose.
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my favorites are the ones where glowies
set up encrypted messaging service and convince criminals 
to use them because it's encrypted
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It already said that iMessage is still encrypted. This is about backups, photos, and file services you illiterate.
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You think dramatards read the article?
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omg
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I was trained by the best of the best, both in programming and high impact trolling. Why would I get into the same room as some limpwristed loser chud with an IQ of a chimpanzee? So I can humiliate them IRL too? Yesterday one of these sharty teens was trying to get me to click an IP grabber kek. This is the level of incompetency and r-sluration I'm dealing with every day. They should be THANKFUL that I have humored them ITT.
Snapshots:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/02/apple-pulls-data-protection-tool-instead-of-caving-to-uk-demand-for-a-backdoor/:
ghostarchive.org
archive.org
archive.ph (click to archive)
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