All Devices If you use iCloud syncing, but not iCloud backups, can Apple access your data?

[SW3029]

If you don't back up your iOS devices to iCloud, but you still use iCloud to sync your data between your Mac and iPhone–does Apple have access to that data?

Or do they only have access to data that is saved in your iCloud backups?

 

[Secondempire]

My understanding is this:

If your data is being stored in iCloud, then Apple has access to it. That includes both backup via iCloud, and syncing via iCloud (like your contacts and Photos library).

The exceptions are iCloud Keychain, and Messages in iCloud, which are end-to-end encrypted and requires two-factor authentication being enabled for your Apple ID.

I also think Safari history and tab syncing is end-to-end encrypted beginning with iOS 13 and macOS Catalina. So that info would also be inaccessible by Apple.

 

[IowaLynn]

Front page. Apple backed off from full iCloud encryption in order to avoid getting more heat from FBI two years ago. A warrant or formal request from LE to access.

 

[jpn]

If you don't back up your iOS devices to iCloud, but you still use iCloud to sync your data between your Mac and iPhone–does Apple have access to that data?

Or do they only have access to data that is saved in your iCloud backups?

to define it very simply:
you can group your info into 2 groups

1 info synced (put onto) apple's servers.
done through enabling iCloud syncing parameters for individual apps that you select.

2 backup info (backups of yr entire iPhone's apps and their data) to apple's servers.
done through enabling iCloud Backup (you can also chose to do only locally stored backups of yr iPhone's data to a Mac you control and own, and not have it on apple's servers).

1 is what you chose to sync to apple's servers.
you make your choices in Settings/Apple ID, iCloud, etc/iCloud/ (various settings)
any app you select here is put onto apple's servers and can be accessed by apple employees if they need to.
there is a legal process that apple does follow to turn over any and all data put onto their servers through this iCloud app syncing. (yesterday or the day before apple just released a country by country, very detailed report detailing this)

2 is generally referred to as a backup process that ostensibly is in place in case you need to restore the state of yr device in case you need to get yr info back to the way it was when you did yr last backup.
most recently the news surrounding this is that apple has chosen to not encrypt this info so that (presumably) it can be made accessible by law enforcement while at the same time apple can publicly maintain its stance that apple itself will not decrypt info that is yours when it hands it over to law enforcement (meaning: apple will not make any backdoors or decrypt yr already encrypted info). (it wasn't encrypted before, so it doesn't have to decrypt it, thereby maintaining its marketing strategy).

in all of this there are two types of people:
1 people who only need to worry about hackers and growingly sophisticated software that can intercept yr info while in transit to others (Message data, Photo data, Mail sent via iCloud, etc etc)
don't worry! a lot (but not all) of the info is being sent through end to end encryption that maintains its security.
as long as you use a VPN and maintain vigilant anti-phishing web practices, you are safe, or, as safe as you can be in mobile digital tech.

2 people who worry about law enforcement or Home Land Security etc etc.
no comment.

 

[Darkhorse1]

It's strange how Apple done a backflip on this, what happened to the logo what's happens on ur iPhone stays on ur iPhone referring to the Privacy of iPhones, and that Apple was going to encrypt iCloud where they can't access it, I just want to know how about the apps u turn off not to be backed up to iCloud are they still access.

FBI Allegedly Stopped Apple’s Encryption Plans - Geek.com — Geek.com

It turns out when the FBI isn’t releasing tone-deaf tweets about MLK apparently they’re indirectly making Apple devices less secure for their own investigative ends. A report on Reuters claims Apple wanted to expand …

apple.news

 

[jpn]

this is the very consise apple document that identifies exactly and clearly what is encrypted during transmission and what is left in an encrypted state on apple's servers.

iCloud data security overview - Apple Support

iCloud uses strong security methods, employs strict policies to protect your information, and leads the industry in using privacy-preserving security technologies like end-to-end encryption for your data.

support.apple.com

after you read the above document, make sure you re-read one of the final parts that says:

quote
Messages in iCloud also uses end-to-end encryption. If you have iCloud Backup turned on, your backup includes a copy of the key protecting your Messages. This ensures you can recover your Messages if you lose access to iCloud Keychain and your trusted devices. When you turn off iCloud Backup, a new key is generated on your device to protect future messages and isn't stored by Apple.
end quote

that means: if you have iCloud Backup on, since your iCloud Backup is NOT encrypted, the encryption key to being able to read/access Message's "encrypted" state is in fact kept in an unprotected state. therefore allowing Messages to be read.
if you are concerned about protecting yr Messages from being read, then do not do any iCloud Backups (turn it off), or, have your iCloud backup done locally, not to apple's servers.