Apple Aapl.o is leaving its most advanced, end-to-end security encryption feature for cloud data in the UK, the company said on Friday, an unprecedented step after the report that the government has a way to reach user data. Demanded
Advanced Data Protection, an alternative feature that expands end-to-end encryption for a wide range of user data, is no longer available in the UK for new users and current UK users finally to incompear this safety facility. Will need, Apple said.
Governments and technical giants have long been closed in a battle on encryption, but such a demand of Britain will be particularly widespread. Security officials argue that encryption obstructs criminal investigation, while tech firms necessarily protect it for user privacy.
The disadvantage of end-to-end encryption for icloud backup means that Apple will be able to read the user data in some examples such as IMessages that will be protected otherwise and will pass the authorities when it is legally forced. Conversely, if a user has an end-to-end encryption, Apple cannot read data under any circumstances.
Apple said that data was encrypted before Apple offered his security service from Apple, such as health data, password and IMESSAGE and FACTIME messaging services, will be encrypted, said.
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Law enforcement agencies have often targeted services through iCloud backup, which Apple did not end-to-end before offering advanced data security. They may have backup-in which photos and other sensitive information and are widely used-the end-to-end cannot be encrypted for UK users, said Apple said.
Because Apple does not have encryption keys of existing users of its data security service in the UK, Apple said it will not be able to shut down features for those users. Apple said it would give those users a chance to close it.
A spokesperson of the UK Home Office refused to comment on whether such an order was issued. The spokesperson said, “We do not comment on operating matters, for example,, including confirmation or denial of the existence of any such notice,” the spokesperson said.
Apple said that “it was severely disappointed that the security provided by ADP would not be available to our customers in the UK, which is a continuous increase of data violations and other dangers for customer privacy.”
Apple’s shares were largely unchanged on Friday morning.
Apple has long opposed government efforts to weaken the encryption, including in 2016 when US authorities tried to force the San Bernardino shooter to unlock the iPhone.
The company reiterated on Friday that it would “ever build a back door in its technology.”
Other technical firms have struggled with global encryption laws. The messaging platform signal has earlier threatened to leave the UK on similar concerns, while the meta platform meta. O has faced pushbacks on its plans to expand encryption on WhatsApp.
Additional reporting by Arashia Bajwa and Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Sayantani Ghosh and Editing by Peter Henderson
