Apple disables end-to-end encryption for UK iCloud users amid govt pressure

Times of Oman

22-02-2025

London: In a move that has sparked widespread concern, Apple has announced that it will no longer offer end-to-end encryption for iCloud users in the United Kingdom, TechCrunch reported.
The decision comes after the UK government reportedly ordered Apple to build a backdoor into its cloud servers, allowing authorities to access encrypted data.
Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature, which provided end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups, will no longer be available to new users in the UK. Existing users will eventually be required to disable the feature to continue using iCloud.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz expressed disappointment and said the company's Advanced Data Protection feature will no longer be available to new users. Current UK users "will eventually need to disable this security feature."
The company expressed its disappointment with the decision, citing the growing need for enhanced security measures to protect user data.
"We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy," the company said.
"Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before," the statement said.
The move has been criticized by privacy and security experts. They see it as unprecedented in a modern democracy and argue that it sets a dangerous precedent for governments to demand access to encrypted data, the demand would set a precedent for authoritarian countries to follow, TechCrunch reported.
"The Home Office's actions have deprived millions of Britons from accessing a security feature," said James Baker of the Open Rights Group. "As a result, British citizens will be at higher risk of their personal data and family photos falling into the hands of criminals and predators," he added.
Apple offers users the option to turn on end-to-end encrypted iCloud backups through Advanced Data Protection. This feature effectively makes it impossible for anyone, including Apple and government authorities, to view data stored in iCloud by users who have opted in.
Meanwhile, the UK Home Office spokesperson did not immediately respond to TechCrunch's request for comment.
Apple did not immediately say how the process of disabling ADP would work for users who had already turned it on before Friday, TechCrunch reported.
Apple has assured users that some types of data, including health data, messages, and payment information, will remain end-to-end encrypted and unaffected by this change.
However, UK users will no longer be able to opt-in to use end-to-end encryption for other types of data, such as photos, notes, and backups.
For current UK users with ADP enabled, Apple said it will give customers more guidance soon, as well as a period of time to disable the feature to keep using iCloud.
The company has also emphasised its commitment to user privacy and security, stating that it has never built a backdoor or master key to any of its products or services and never will.
"As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services, and we never will," Apple said, linking to its prior statements.