The British government had previously demanded that Apple introduce a backdoor mechanism in iCloud, enabling law enforcement agencies to bypass encryption and access user data stored in the cloud worldwide. Such a proposal, unsurprisingly, sparked significant controversy.
Currently, Apple offers a feature in iCloud called Advanced Data Protection, which, when enabled, secures cloud-stored data using end-to-end encryption. This ensures that even Apple itself cannot access the data.
Compromising the security of iCloud users worldwide to satisfy the British government’s demands was never an option. Instead, Apple announced that it would disable the Advanced Data Protection feature within the UK, thereby complying with governmental requirements—yet outright rejecting the notion of inserting a global surveillance backdoor. The development was first reported by Bloomberg.
In its official statement, Apple expressed disappointment with the British government’s stance. Apple will no longer offer Advanced Data Protection to new users in the UK, and eventually, existing UK users will also lose access to this feature. Advanced Data Protection employs end-to-end encryption to safeguard iCloud data, ensuring that only the data owner can decrypt it, and only on trusted devices.
With the increasing prevalence of data breaches and mounting privacy threats, Apple finds it regrettable that British customers will be deprived of the protection provided by Advanced Data Protection. The need to strengthen cloud storage security through end-to-end encryption has never been more urgent.
Apple remains unwavering in its commitment to providing the highest level of personal data security. The company hopes to reintroduce similar protective features in the UK in the future. As it has consistently stated, Apple has never incorporated backdoors into any of its products or services—and it never will.
Following the disabling of Advanced Data Protection, the British government will have unrestricted authority to issue subpoenas compelling Apple to disclose specific user data. Moreover, under UK law, Apple is prohibited from notifying users when their data has been requested.
It is worth noting that some of Apple’s services inherently employ end-to-end encryption. As a result, even with Advanced Data Protection disabled, certain types of data—such as iCloud Keychain, health records, Wi-Fi passwords, and Safari browsing history—will remain encrypted and secure.
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- Google Advanced Protection Program now supports iOS applications
