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A screenshot of the message apple shows to U.K. users after disabling the option to turn on end-to-end encrypted icloud.Image Credits:TechCrunch
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Apple confirmed Friday that it “ can no longer ” offer a security feature of speech that allows user in the United Kingdom to encrypt their iCloud data .
In a assertion provided to TechCrunch , Apple interpreter Fred Sainz said the company’sAdvanced Data Protectionfeature will no longer be available to novel users and current U.K. users “ will eventually need to disable this protection feature of speech . ”
“ We are seriously disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be useable to our customers in the U.K. given the continuing rise of data point breaches and other threat to customer privacy , ” the party sound out .
“ Enhancing the security of swarm storage with end - to - end encoding is more pressing than ever before , ” the instruction tell .
The announcement come after theU.K. government reportedly orderedApple earlier this year to make abackdoorthat would allow British self-confidence “ blanket ” access code to drug user ’ data stored on Apple ’s cloud servers , even if it isend - to - end encipher . This asking , seen as unprecedented in a mod majority rule , alarmed secrecy and security expert , who debate that if the British government prevailed , the demand would go down a precedent for dictatorial rural area to take after .
Apple offer users the option to twist on ending - to - end cypher iCloud backup man through Advanced Data Protection . This feature effectively wee it unsufferable for anyone , including Apple and government authorities , to view data point stored in iCloud by users who have opted - in .
A representative for the U.K. Home Office did not immediately respond to TechCrunch ’s petition for comment .
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Apple did not directly say how the process of disable ADP will work for users who had already twist it on before Friday .
James Baker , who works for the U.K. digital rights organization Open Rights Group , say that “ The Home Office ’s actions have deprived millions of Britons from accessing a security feature film . As a result , British citizen will be at higher risk of their personal data point and kinfolk exposure fall into the paw of malefactor and vulture . ”
Apple said that some types of data , include health data , messages stored in iCloud , and payment data , which are end - to - close encrypted by default option for all user , will not be affected by this change , and will stay on write in code for everyone . But U.K. users will not be able to opt - in to utilize end - to - end encryption for the other types of data , such as exposure , eminence , musical accompaniment , and other data , which were write in code under ADP .
For those who already have ADP enabled , Apple say it will give customers more guidance before long , as well as a period of metre to turn off the feature to keep using iCloud .
ADP is unaffected for users outside of the United Kingdom , Apple said , and terminate - to - end encrypt communication table service like FaceTime and iMessage are not bear upon , either .
“ As we have allege many times before , we have never ramp up a backdoor or master copy headstone to any of our Cartesian product or service and we never will , ” Apple said , linking toits prior statements .
BBC News reportedthat ADP stopped being an option for new users starting at 3 p.m. U.K. time on Friday . TechCrunch has also affirm that ADP is no longer an option for new substance abuser in the United Kingdom .
Since the rise of encryption in the mid-1990s , governments worldwide have argued that this data - scrambling engineering science would earmark malefactor and terrorists to violate the police force while bilk law enforcement . Over the years , authority have always found a manner , from accessing unencrypted backup to using spyware , to access data point directly on masses ’s twist .
“ If you are not in the U.K. , you should turn over on ADP now , ” Matthew Green , a cryptography expert and instructor at Johns Hopkins University , wrote on Xin response to the news program .
“ The more people who use it , the hard it will be to close off this manner , ” said Green .
Clarified the forms of data protected under Advanced Data Protection in the ninth paragraph .
This account was updated to include the financial statement from James Baker .
