After a few months of setback, Apple finally surrendered to the UK’s labor government and removed the highest level of data security tools for UK Apple users. This means that the UK government has access to citizens’ messages and camera rolls now.
In a critical policy shift, Apple removed the strongest iCloud security tool for UK users after government pressure. This is a move that raises serious concerns about digital privacy.
Apple removes advanced data protection (ADP) tools after UK government request
According to Guardian, Apple made a rare move by UK users to remove the most advanced data security features after the government insisted on getting “backdoor” access to user data. The iPhone maker warned that users will follow directives from their home offices and face greater risk of data breaches from bad actors.
“Apple has taken the unprecedented step of removing the most powerful data security tools from its UK customers after the government requested ‘backdoor’ access to user data,” reported the Guardian.
This feature, Advanced Data Protection (ADP), provides end-to-end encryption, allowing only users to access files, photos and notes. That deletion will prevent new UK users from enabling ADP, and anyone already using it will need to disable it immediately. The iCloud keychain, health app data, and messages sent via Imessage and FaceTime will remain encrypted, while everything else will be able to access Apple.
This follows demand from the UK government under the Investigation Powers Act (IPA). This forces businesses to access encrypted data on demand. Critics have long called the law the “Snooper’s Charter” because of its drastic surveillance capabilities, including its ability to intercept communications and collect large amounts of data.
Apple was pushed back strongly to the decision. “Given the continued rise in data breaches and other threats to customer privacy, we are seriously disappointed that the protections offered by ADP are not available to UK customers,” the company said in a statement. Apple has repeatedly said it has never built a backdoor on its products and hasn’t built.
Privacy advocates warn that the move will set a dangerous precedent, claiming that if encryption is weakened, bad actors can take advantage of the same vulnerabilities the government is currently accessing. Cybersecurity experts also warn that other countries could demand similar concessions and force tech companies into a continuing battle between privacy and government oversight.
For UK users, this decision means that data is no longer as private as it used to be, and the impact could extend far beyond the UK.
Apple Privacy Policy Shift?
In related developments, Apple announced three years ago that it would scan and monitor all iPhones for evidence of child abuse images. The announcement was praised by a child protection group, but security researchers raised concerns about potential surveillance of personal devices. They warned that the system could be misused by the government to monitor its citizens.
This policy allows private company Apple to track all phones in the US. But Matthew Green, a security professor at Johns Hopkins University, issued an alarm saying, “This will break the dam. The government will ask everyone to do that.” Green is believed to be the first researcher to post a tweet on the issue.
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