Demand applies to all content stored using what Apple calls “advanced data protection” (ADP).
This uses what is called end-to-end encryption. This encryption allows only account owners to access stored data. It cannot be displayed on Apple itself.
This is an opt-in service and not all users choose to activate it.
This is because it makes your data safer, but comes with a downside. This is because if you lose access to your account, it encrypts your data to the point that you cannot recover.
The number of people who chose to use ADP is unknown.
It is also important to note that government notifications do not mean that authorities are suddenly about to start looking at all the data.
Governments are hoping to access this data if there is a risk to national security. This means targeting individuals rather than using it for mass surveillance.
Authorities must have a legitimate reason for certain accounts and require legitimate reason to access data.
Apple previously said it would pull cryptographic services like ADP from the UK market rather than complying with government demands like this.
Cybersecurity experts agree that once such an entry point is in place, it’s only a matter of time before the bad actors discover it too.
And simply withdrawing products from the UK may not be enough to ensure compliance – the Investigation Rights Act applies globally to high-tech companies in the UK market, even if they are not based in the UK. It will be done.
Still, no Western government has yet to successfully attempt to force large tech companies like Apple to destroy crypto.
The US government had previously asked for this, but Apple refused.
In 2016, Apple resisted a court order that created software that would allow US officials to access gunman’s iPhones, but was resolved after the FBI successfully accessed the device.
That same year, the US dropped a similar case after being able to gain access by discovering the person’s passcode.
Similar cases followed, with Apple refusing to unlock the man’s iPhone in 2020 shooting at a US air force base.
The FBI later said it was able to “access” the phone.
