Apple, which positions itself as a great defender of confidentiality, is giving ground on the protection of privacy in the United Kingdom. Under pressure from the British authorities, if we are to believe the American press, the Apple brand has taken the decision to withdraw its advanced encryption function for British users.
"Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users and current British users will eventually have to deactivate this security feature", explains Julien Trosdorf, spokesperson for Apple, in a statement to The Verge. “We are deeply disappointed that the protections provided by the ADP are not available to our customers in the UK given the continued rise in data breaches and other threats to customer privacy”.
Apple still refuses to create a backdoor
This decision remains a way for the American giant to not contradict its promise. Indeed, disabling advanced data protection avoids creating a backdoor, i.e. a way to access data. The Cupertino company has always refused to do so and is keen to remind it in a press release: “As we have said many times before, we have never implemented a “backdoor” or “master key” for any of our products or services and we never will”. Some may remember the San Bernardino iPhone shooting, for which Apple had already refused to create a backdoor to help the FBI.
Available as an option since 2022, Advanced Data Protection for iCloud data complements the security measures already available. It uses end-to-end encryption for additional categories of data, including device backups, Messages backups, iCloud Drive, Notes, Photos, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts, Voice Memos, and Maps data. With this feature, only approved devices can decrypt protected data, ensuring information security even in the event of a data breach in the cloud. Even Apple cannot access user information, the firm reminds on its website.
UK users who have never activated this additional protection will no longer be able to do so. For the others, they will have a period of time to deactivate it.
The risk of creating a precedent
As it stands, Apple seems to be opting for the least bad solution in the face of the supposed demands of the British government. The decision of the Californian giant still sends a worrying message, leaving hope for other governments to make Apple give in and slow down progress in terms of encryption. Tim Cook's firm could nevertheless find salvation in the United States, which did not look favorably on the United Kingdom's request.
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