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Apple, in a first, drops end-to-end cloud encryption for UK users (www.aljazeera.com)

submitted 6 months ago by Domino@lemmings.world to c/world@quokk.au

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Apple has said it will stop offering an advanced data security option for British users after the government reportedly demanded that the company provide backdoor access for any data those users have stored in the cloud.

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[–] vaguerant@fedia.io 14 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Not an Applehead, but they took the best option here. UK law would otherwise compel them to secretly backdoor their own service. It's better that they drop the feature than utterly compromise it.

Now, privacy-conscious users can seek out an alternative (e.g. self-host or find a provider not subject to UK law) instead of having a false sense of security while the government rifles through their data.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Now, privacy-conscious users can seek out an alternative

If they're allowed to by their Apple OS. Which is highly unlikely.

Seriously, has ANYONE ever successfully opted out of iCloud without rooting their phone or otherwise risking Apple bricking their iPhone?

[–] juli@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

UK law would otherwise compel them to secretly backdoor their own service

What makes you think they haven't?

https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/governments-spying-apple-google-users-through-push-notifications-us-senator-2023-12-06/

Not an Applehead

We don't care if you work for apple marketing. This is the internet, you could be Tim Apple himself, who knows, we can't verify neither. But It sure feels deflecting first like this is used a lot on negative news about big tech, like a PR company is at work.

[–] vaguerant@fedia.io 1 points 6 months ago

What makes you think they haven't?

Shrug, it's entirely possible that they have. But if they're not providing encryption any more, then they're definitely not backdooring the encryption that they're not providing to the people they're not providing it to. Either way, the result is the same: in the UK especially, iCloud is not a safe place to store your sensitive information, so privacy-conscious users need to look elsewhere.

We don't care if you work for apple marketing. This is the internet, you could be Tim Apple himself, who knows, we can't verify neither. But It sure feels deflecting first like this is used a lot on negative news about big tech, like a PR company is at work.

I didn't even know marketing was on the table. All I meant was that I'm not an Apple user or fan, but as long as we're being candid about what things we don't care about, I don't give a fuck about your conspiracy theories. Don't worry, the boss says it's OK to swear.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Maybe this will promote Apple permitting third-party solutions having better system access.

This would sidestep the issue completely.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 6 months ago

Maybe this will promote Apple permitting third-party solutions having better system access.