Apple Disables iCloud End-to-End Encryption Following UK Government Request

Apple has said it will no longer be able to provide users in the UK with the Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature, which enables end-to-end encryption of iCloud data. According to Apple spokesman Fred Sainz, the feature will have to be disabled at the request of the UK government.

Image source: Alexander Andrews / Unsplash

In a statement provided to TechCrunch, the company expressed “deep disappointment” that the protection provided by ADP will not be available to customers in the UK, given the continued rise of data breaches and other privacy threats. Apple noted that “strengthening cloud storage security with end-to-end encryption is more important than ever.”

The announcement followed reports that the UK government had demanded Apple create a backdoor – an algorithm that would allow virtually complete access to customer data stored on Apple’s cloud servers, even if it is end-to-end encrypted. However, cybersecurity experts warned that if London got its way, it would set a dangerous precedent for other countries too.

Advanced Data Protection allows users to turn on encryption themselves, making their data inaccessible even to Apple. Despite the move away from ADP, some categories of information will still be encrypted, including medical data, iCloud messages, and payment information. However, other files, such as photos, notes, and backups, will no longer be protected.

The British government has yet to comment on the situation, but James Baker, a spokesman for the Open Rights Group, said the Home Office had deprived millions of Britons of an important security feature, raising the risk of personal data leaks. The company has not yet specified how exactly ADP will be disabled for those who have already activated the feature (new users will not have ADP from the start), but said it would provide customers with further instructions in the near future.

It is emphasized that this measure will not affect users from other countries, and encrypted communication services such as FaceTime and iMessage will continue to operate without changes.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts are advising users outside the UK to urgently enable ADP to make it harder for authorities to disable encryption in the future. Cryptographer Matthew Green noted that “the more people who enable this feature, the harder it will be to disable it.”