- The United Kingdom struck Apple with a new encryption stuck request, only targeting British user data this time
- The authorities turned around on the previous request in August, after mounting pressure from the United States
- Apple killed the icloud end-to-end encryption function in the United Kingdom in February, after receiving the first technical capacity notice (TCN)
Just when Apple thought he had finally won the battle to save his advanced encryption in the United Kingdom, the authorities abandoned a new order to demand a stolen door in the Cloud storage service of the Grand Technology Giant. This time, British user data is the only target.
The home office first served Apple with a technical capacity notice (TCN) under The 2016 survey powers act in January. A request that prompted the American company to kill its encryption function from start to finish of iCloud in February to avoid building the requested stolen door.
Quick advance until August and the United Kingdom agreed to turn around after the growing pressure of the American authorities. Although it has been welcomed, the decision left digital rights experts with a soft-to-and-man taste because the power to undermine encryption would remain in British law.
Now, less than two months later, expert concerns are well founded. As the Financial Times reported it on Wednesday, October 1, the Home Office published a new stolen bearing request for encryption in early September, which would only apply to data from British citizens.
The Home Office refused to confirm or deny the existence of such an order.
Confidentiality activists, however, consider the government’s request as an attack on privacy and security of people who could ultimately have repercussions for the British economy as a whole.
“Today, it is Apple, but tomorrow, the same secret request could be made of other companies. If global companies consider the United Kingdom as a market where they must weaken security, they can leave rather than lose their customers’ confidence,” said Robin Wilton, Senior Director of Internet Internet Internet. “The United Kingdom should not define a precedent that endangers security, privacy and confidence, whether worldwide or at home.”
What is the command for Apple British users?
Speaking to The Financial Times on Wednesday, Apple said it was “seriously disappointed” that the company could not reintroduce its advanced iCloud data (ADP) protection for British users.
Although it is not a default functionality, once activated, Advanced Data Protection (ADP) of Apple provides an additional protection layer on all data stored by iCloud using end -to -end encryption technology, which even means that even Apple cannot access the files. An additional safety measure that the British has not been able to use for months.
As the company explains in an official blog article, however, all Apple’s communication services, such as Imessage and Facetime, remain encrypted from start to finish in the world, including in the United Kingdom.
However, “we are seriously disappointed that the protections provided by the ADP are not available for our customers in the United Kingdom, given the rise of data violations and other threats to customer confidentiality,” said Apple.
We have never built a rear door, and we will never do it
Apple
Encryption is a crucial technology that signal, WhatsApp, Protonmail and even the best VPN applications use to protect our communications and private data against unauthorized access.
Events such as the Typhon of Salt attack against all the main American telecommunications have shown, many and many times, how encryption is crucial for the privacy and security of each. Even FBI and CISA experts called on citizens to switch to quantified services in the aftermath of this unprecedented cyber attack.
Matthew Hodgson, CEO of Element (a British company developing encrypted messaging and collaboration solutions), underlines how the British government is not disturbed by the way other nations and experts appreciate encryption from start to finish.
He said: “It is not a question of balance between security and confidentiality. The weakening of the encryption makes the least secure by default. It is impossible to create a” safe “stolen door in a encrypted system. History has shown us that a stolen door for the government is a stolen door for criminals to exploit.”
This is exactly why Apple remains firm in its position. “As we have said several times before, we have never built a rear door or main key to any of our products or services, and we will never do it.”
