Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Will Begin Notifying Users of Information Requests from Law Enforcement

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,522
30,800



applelogo.png
Apple will begin notifying its users of secret personal data requests from law enforcement, according to The Washington Post, as the company believes users have a right to know in advance if their information is being targeted by the government.
Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google all are updating their policies to expand routine notification of users about government data seizures, unless specifically gagged by a judge or other legal authority, officials at all four companies said. Yahoo announced similar changes in July.
Click to expand...
Prosecutors, however, say the move could tip off criminals, allowing them to destroy potential digital evidence, cover their tracks and intimidate potential witnesses before law enforcement can build their case. Alternatively, the Post notes that some companies who already notify users before a government requests have found that investigators have dropped data requests to avoid having suspects learn of their inquiries.

In the United States, the typical search warrant requires the police to notify the suspect that they are being searched. However, so-called "sneak-and-peek" warrants are not unheard of and allow investigators to search a suspect's house or other property without any notification. This ability was expanded in the PATRIOT Act, allowing the Federal Government to utilize such warrants in nearly any crime.

Apple and the other companies are seeking to nullify these sneak-and-peek warrants as they pertain to the digital realm.

Apple's changes will be unveiled in an updated privacy policy later this month, an Apple spokeswoman told the Post, and users will be notified in "most cases" when their information is requested by a government entity. Cases in which Apple would not notify users include data requests from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and subpoenas from the FBI for national security investigations.
"Later this month, Apple will update its policies so that in most cases when law enforcement requests personal information about a customer, the customer will receive a notification from Apple," company spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said.
Click to expand...
The Cupertino company has been increasingly concerned about privacy matters since the discovery of secret intelligence program PRISM, with CEO Tim Cook saying the NSA would have to cart them "out in a box" before it could access Apple's servers. Apple has also hired certified privacy professional Sabrina Ross as privacy counsel to oversee the protection of customer data.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple Will Begin Notifying Users of Information Requests from Law Enforcement
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/01/apple-notify-users-data/
R

rmatthewware

macrumors 6502
Jul 22, 2009
493
125
If the government needs the data so bad, maybe they should get a warrant and physically confiscate the device?

or just install internet explorer on the phone...
 
larrylaffer

larrylaffer

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2009
693
1,304
Los Angeles
MacRumors said:
In the United States, the typical search warrant requires the police to notify the suspect that they are being searched.
Click to expand...

In this case how long the notification will come before the data is turned over. I would imagine the government wants it to be as short as they can get it so you can't tamper anything.
 
Z

Z400Racer37

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2011
711
1,664
I absolutely. Love. This. I really hope it's not a PR stunt, and they actually follow through. Just terrific.:apple:
 
Z

Z400Racer37

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2011
711
1,664
larrylaffer said:
In this case how long the notification will come before the data is turned over. I would imagine the government wants it to be as short as they can get it so you can't tamper anything.
Click to expand...

My data. My property. Don't care what they want.
 
D

DBZmusicboy01

macrumors 65816
Sep 30, 2011
1,102
1,249
It's stupid how everything we do it's tracked....No one should have their personal info stolen from them.
 
brinary001

brinary001

Suspended
Sep 4, 2012
991
1,134
Midwest, USA
rmatthewware said:
If the government needs the data so bad, maybe they should get a warrant and physically confiscate the device?

or just install internet explorer on the phone...
Click to expand...
Ohhhhh snap!



....But yea

----------

Everyone does realize that there hasn't been privacy since the dawn of the telephone, right? And then with the Internet...
 
A

afsnyder

macrumors 65816
Jan 7, 2014
1,270
33
Seriously they won't be targeting you unless you have a connection. Even when they do, you won't know. Now you'll know and get all paranoid. I'd rather know it's happening but not know exactly when it is or has.
 
quietstormSD

quietstormSD

macrumors 65816
Mar 2, 2010
1,224
593
San Diego, CA
I think the notifications may only be for data on iPhone 5's or higher, iPad 4's or higher, iMac's 2013 or later and MacBook Pro's with Retina displays only. MacBook Air users will have to wait for Retina, along with Mac Mini's previous generation processors to get the notifications.
 
Robert.Walter

Robert.Walter

macrumors 68040
Jul 10, 2012
3,093
4,364
Kudos to Tim Cook and the Apple team!

Now if Apple could just set-up its own:
1. DNS address system
2. TOR anonymization relay system.

We could be relatively sure not to be snooped on by google or the NSA.
 
luckydcxx

luckydcxx

macrumors 65816
Jun 13, 2013
1,158
419
this is terrible, way to let criminal enterprises and drug dealers get away with it.

if you have nothing to hide why do you care? this only helps criminals and terrorists. i am very disappointed in Apple.
 
8

827538

Cancelled
Jul 3, 2013
2,322
2,833
I would say I'm totally sick of the US's behaviour and I think it's high time the EU and others essentially cut off the US intelligence gathering activities so to speak. But then you realise GCHQ is front and centre in all this, much of the cryptography code breaking was achieved by GCHQ (I have a huge respect for Alan Turing and his work though).

-I have a few views on it - I don't have anything to hide so if some data analyst wants to read my uni work and dull emails then go nuts. I have no criminal record or associations and my politics while radical at times definitely pose no threat.
-Just because I have nothing to hide doesn't mean I shouldn't have a strong right to privacy - GHCQ and equivalents are meant to serve the people and we the people do not wish to by spied upon.
-The intelligence services can do their job just fine without mass blanket surveillance, the small increase in risk of terrorism or whatever the flavour threat of the month is... Nazis, Commies, Islamic Terrorists etc etc is a fair price to pay for strong individual privacy.

Two routes, one goes towards freedom, free speech, privacy, government honesty and integrity, democracy. The other is the stuff of Orwell's nightmares, creeping censorship, imprisonment and harassment for speaking out, sham elections, mass surveillance states... Oh wait..

I'm not a conspiracy nut but all those NSA/GCHQ revelations made me extremely nervous and uncomfortable. It's only real purpose in my eyes is state control. Good on Apple and co. They may not be perfect but I'll take anything I can get. :(

----------
luckydcxx said:
this is terrible, way to let criminal enterprises and drug dealers get away with it.

if you have nothing to hide why do you care? this only helps criminals and terrorists. i am very disappointed in Apple.
Click to expand...

This is sarcasm right?
 
P

ptb42

macrumors 6502a
Oct 14, 2011
703
184
osaga said:
They're just going after the terrorist demographic. Typical.
Click to expand...

Apple's new policy covers warrants from domestic law enforcement, at least in the US.

Warrants for any alleged terrorist would be handled by the FISA court, and that is still secret.
 
P

ptb42

macrumors 6502a
Oct 14, 2011
703
184
luckydcxx said:
if you have nothing to hide why do you care? this only helps criminals and terrorists. i am very disappointed in Apple.
Click to expand...

I suggest you do a search for "three felonies a day".

The phrase refers to the average number of crimes inadvertently committed by normal people, going about their daily lives.
 
luckydcxx

luckydcxx

macrumors 65816
Jun 13, 2013
1,158
419
SCOLANATOR said:
This is sarcasm right?
Click to expand...

no.

----------
ptb42 said:
I suggest you do a search for "three felonies a day".

The phrase refers to the average number of crimes inadvertently committed by normal people, going about their daily lives.
Click to expand...

do you really think law enforcement is going for a search warrant and a judge is signing it and putting all resources into the average joe citizen every day? the answer is no. A search warrant requires probable cause.

----------
mrsir2009 said:
Lol are you implying that drug dealing is a real crime?
Click to expand...

no i like it when people are dealing pills to kids that some quack doctor wrote a prescription for.
 
Rafterman

Rafterman

Contributor
Apr 23, 2010
6,844
8,152
In people's paranoia about the gub'mint listening in on their Mother's Day wishes to dear ol' Mom, they are forgetting that there are often times when the data taps are absolutely justified - i.e., child porn traffickers are often caught this way. I hope Apple takes great care in exactly who they are alerting and don't inadvertently let criminals escape justice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom