UK orders Apple to open up users’ encrypted cloud data, report says

Governments routinely inquire exertion companies for idiosyncratic information to ace transgression cases, but Britain’s sweeping demand, issued past month, has nary known precedent successful large democracies, the Post said.

Britain’s interior ministry declined to comment, and Apple did not respond to an enquiry extracurricular regular concern hours.

Britain issues specified notices nether its Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which combined assorted existing powers connected intercepting and obtaining communications.

While information officials accidental information encryption features marque it harder to drawback criminals, tech companies person agelong guarded their users’ close to privacy.

At contented is an Apple diagnostic that allows users of its iPhones, Macs and different devices to guarantee that lone they — and not adjacent Apple — tin unlock information stored connected its cloud.

Most Apple users employment information features specified arsenic two-factor authentication, but a smaller fig seeking these tougher safeguards alteration Advanced Data Protection.

As the UK was consulting past twelvemonth connected changes to the 2016 instrumentality that it said were needed to support gait with evolving technologies and cyber threats, Apple told parliament that it would ne'er physique a “back door” into its products, and mightiness truthful person to retreat the precocious safeguard successful Britain.

Britain’s Online Safety Act of 2023, which requires companies to instrumentality enactment against kid intersexual maltreatment worldly connected their platforms, has besides prompted disapproval from tech companies.

Companies specified arsenic Meta’s WhatsApp and Signal person argued that it threatens the end-to-end encryption that underpins their messaging services.

In 2016, Apple successfully fought a U.S. bid to unlock an encrypted iPhone belonging to a shooter successful a deadly massacre successful San Bernardino, California.