Apple withdraws cloud encryption service from UK after government order

Apple withdraws cloud encryption service from UK after government order Tech group says it can no longer offer advanced protection to British users after demand for ‘back door’ to user data

Apple said current UK users of the security feature will eventually need to disable it © REUTERS Apple is withdrawing its most secure cloud storage service from the UK after the British government ordered the iPhone maker to grant secret access to customer data.

“Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users and current UK users will eventually need to disable this security feature,” the US Big Tech company said on Friday.

Last month, Apple received a “technical capability notice” under the UK Investigatory Powers Act, people familiar with the matter told the FT at the time.

The request for a so-called “backdoor” to user data would have enabled law enforcement and security services to tap iPhone back-ups and other cloud data that is otherwise inaccessible, even to Apple itself.

The law, dubbed a “Snooper’s Charter” by its critics, has extraterritorial powers, meaning UK law enforcement could access the encrypted data of Apple customers anywhere in the world, including in the US.

This is a developing story