Apple confirmed on Friday that it “can no longer” offer a security functionality that allows users of the United Kingdom to encrypt their iCloud data.
In a press release provided to Techcrunch, Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz said the company Advanced data protection The functionality will no longer be available for new current British users and users “may need to deactivate this safety feature.”
“We are seriously disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available for our customers in the United Kingdom, given the rise in data violations and other threats to customer confidentiality,” said the company .
“Improving cloud storage safety with end -to -end encryption is more urgent than ever,” said the press release.
The announcement comes after the British government would have ordered Apple earlier this year to build a stolen door which would allow the British authorities to “use” access to data from user stored on Apple Cloud servers, even S ‘ He is encrypted from start to finish. This request, considered unprecedented in a modern democracy, alarmed experts in confidentiality and security, who argued that if the British government prevailed, the demand would establish a precedent for the authoritarian countries to follow.
Apple offers users the possibility of activating iCloud encrypted ICLOUD backgrounds thanks to advanced data protection. This feature actually prevents anyone, including Apple authorities and the government, display the data stored in iCloud by users who have opted.
A spokesman for the British home office did not immediately respond to the request for comments from Techcrunch.
Apple did not immediately say how the ADP deactivation process will work for users who had already excited it before Friday.
James Baker, who works for the UK Digital Rights Organization Open Rights Group, said that “Home Office’s actions have deprived millions of British to access a security feature. Consequently, British citizens will be more at risk that their personal data and their family photos fall into the hands of criminals and predators. »»
Apple has said that certain types of data, including health data, messages stored in iCloud and payment information, which is encrypted from start to finish by all users, will not be affected by this change and will remain encrypted for everyone. But British users will not be able to choose to use end -to -end encryption for other types of data, such as photos, notes, backups, backups, and other datawhich were encrypted under ADP.
For those who have already activated the ADP, Apple has said that it would give customers more advice soon, as well as a period of time to deactivate the functionality to continue using iCloud.
The ADP is not affected for users outside the United Kingdom, said Apple, and encrypted communication services from start to finish like Facetime and Imessage are not affected either.
“As we have said on several occasions before, we have never built a stolen door or master of any of our products or services and we will never do it,” said Apple, connecting to its previous declarations.
BBC News reported This ADP ceased to be an option for new users from 3 p.m. on the UK on Friday. Techcrunch also confirmed that ADP was no longer an option for new users in the United Kingdom.
Since the rise of encryption in the mid -90s, governments around the world have argued that this data shaking technology would allow criminals and terrorists to violate the law while escaping the police. Over the years, the authorities have always found a means, access to unacline backups for the use of spyware software, to directly access data on people’s devices.
“If you are not in the United Kingdom, you should activate the ADP now”, Matthew Green, expert in cryptography and teacher at Johns Hopkins University, Written on x In response to the news.
“The more people who use it, the more difficult it will be to close this,” said Green.
Clarified the forms of protected data under the advanced protection of data in the ninth paragraph.
This story has been updated to include James Baker’s declaration.
