UK Government Issues New Order to Access iCloud User Data

[MacRumors]

The UK government has issued a new request for Apple to provide access to encrypted iCloud user data, the Financial Times reports.

The report reveals that, in early September, the UK Home Office demanded that Apple creates a way for officials to access encrypted iCloud backups. Unlike its previous order, the latest request focuses on the iCloud data of British citizens specifically. The demand is designed to aid law enforcement with investigations into terrorism and child sexual abuse.

The Home Office's previous request from January sought access to encrypted user data worldwide, which triggered a diplomatic clash between the UK and U.S. governments. The Trump administration pressured the UK to discard the order and, in August, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that the UK had "agreed to drop" its demand, at least with regards to the encrypted data of American citizens.

In February, Apple withdrew iCloud's Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK and raised public objections to the request. It also registered a complaint with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and supported a legal challenge from the campaign group Privacy International and Liberty.

Questions remain around whether the Trump administration has relaxed its view of the issue, and whether building a backdoor into encrypted iCloud data for the British government would jeopardize the security of global user data.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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: UK Government Issues New Order to Access iCloud User Data

 

[Taq'aix]

This is only the beginning. The UK government’s authoritarian drift accelerates with each passing day, more surveillance, more restrictions, more control. The trajectory is unmistakable.

 

[repoman016]

Chris Hanson didn't need a backdoor to iCloud to catch a predator...

 

[boswald]

When is Apple going to fight back? They already told the FBI (and, essentially, the US gov't) to go away, so why can't they just refuse to comply with this? Will there be a court order? If so, when will it be enough for Apple?

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I used to think living in the UK could be cool, but with their surveillance state, penalizing people for saying things in social media, and other insanity I no longer think that. Evidently living in the UK means the government deserves access to everything about you. I am not one who believes in the "If you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about" argument.

 

[boswald]

Chris Hanson didn't need a backdoor to iCloud to catch a predator...

I drove 5 hours to tell this comment I wasn't reading it.

 

[Mr_Ed]

The famous Apple ad said "And you'll see why 1984 won't be like '1984'."
Not so sure about 2034.

 

[Entilzha]

The UK is essentially a surveillance state now, and with Starmer trying to make this digital ID a thing it’s just getting worse and worse.

Be well, my UK cousins.

 

[Ifti]

British citizens in the UK are basically a herd of slaves. With the UK Gov controlling that herd more and more tightly......

 

[dominiongamma]

But people said the UK is good I thought. Amazing how the voices on here are quiet now

 

[Hajj.david]

British citizens in the UK are basically a herd of slaves. With the UK Gov controlling that herd more and more tightly......

They are literally called "british subjects"

 

[boswald]

I still have tremendous respect for European people for putting up with so much negativity and overcoming the odds of history. Insane what they've gone through. I wish America could learn more from them.

Signed,
An American

 

[Entilzha]

But people said the UK is good I thought. Amazing how the voices on here are quiet now

“How are things in the UK?”

“I can’t complain.”

“Oh, that’s good!”

“No, I mean I’m literally not allowed to complain.”

 

[Paddle1]

But people said the EU is good I thought. Amazing how the voices on here are quiet now

UK is not EU.

Edit: I see you fixed it.

 

[WilliApple]

Hear me out: rename iCloud to Apple Cloud, what if they don’t regulate apple cloud but they regulate iCloud

 

[racerhomie]

Londonistan is a Fitting name!

 

[PowerButton]

Very bad idea, because someone will misuse it. 🤦‍♂️

 

[Mactech20]

Would be a shame if someone started a... Revolution perhaps?

 

[tonmischa]

UK wanted out of the EU and its privacy laws.
No?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Apple needs to give us better access to our own iCloud, to remove things we don't want and don't need anyone, like background iCloud Sync data that isn't removable by Apple (supposedly) or the end user.

Check "~/Library/'Application Support'/CloudDocs/session/containers" and see how much data you have from apps you uninstalled 10 years ago. You can't delete, and you can't opt-out of apps using it. If you delete it, it just reappears.

I know it doesn't solve this, but if the data isn't there, it can't be handed over.

 

[Devyn89]

Why is the Labour Party only far left in authoritarian ways but pretty right, or centre right on economics? What's the point of the current Labour Party? How is it different than the Conservative Party at this point?

 

[robvalentine]

I used to think living in the UK could be cool, but with their surveillance state, penalizing people for saying things in social media, and other insanity I no longer think that. Evidently living in the UK means the government deserves access to everything about you. I am not one who believes in the "If you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about argument".

The penalising people for social media posts is for incitement, not just saying things. Lucy Connoly the far right's idol told people to burn down hotels with people inside. That's not sharing an oppinion, that's a crime whether in a pub, or on social media.

The Home office can do one with this invasion of privacy and overreach.

 

[jlwarlow]

So the UK gov want's a digital ID card on my iPhone, with weak encryption to protect this ID card? Thanks.

 

[Siliconguy]

I am not one who believes in the "If you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about argument".

Especially when they keep redefining "anything wrong."

 

[HQuest]

Wait until they realize they don’t need to ask for a ton of backdoors or changes in encryption mechanisms. All they need is a root certificate deployed on any UK sold phone and tap everything inside the carriers and service providers, just like any enterprise does…