Apple announced that it would suspend its advanced data protection feature for users in the UK, citing alignment with the nation’s changing digital laws. The move will require existing UK users of the security feature to disable it in the future, which has implications for data privacy and protection.
The action comes amid mounting pressure from UK authorities to make encrypted services available for government monitoring under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA). The legislation compels technology firms to grant access to encrypted data on demand, something Apple has resisted vigorously in the past.
Apple’s Advanced Data Protection feature provides end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups, where data stored can neither be accessed even by Apple. The company shutting down the feature in the UK indicates an ever-wider war between privacy activists and state regulations which want increased mastery over electronic communication.
With privacy being at the very heart of Apple’s brand, the move has been met with criticism by cybersecurity professionals and users alike, who worry that this precedent may be followed by other nations demanding the same level of access.
