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U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

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Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#21

[flagged]

> What is the problem? If Elon and a bunch of randos can have access why the UK cannot? Surely if they make a large enough donation to the west wing a deal can be made! Are you really implying that Elon has a back door into encryption in the US? You probably better cite a source for that one cause that's deep conspiracy theory territory

What encryption ? He is given the keys to confidential federal documents, systems and lists.

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#22

It is only safe to assume that every security vulnerability will eventually be discovered, and exploited by a bad actor. Knowing that, willfully creating more vulnerabilities, however well intnded, is just reckless.

That's why they say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#23
post #5

I think this is an unquestionable overreach on the UK's part. If you live in any country that isn't the UK, you should feel the threat from this: the UK government believes that it is entitled to a backdoor on your hardware, even if you've never stepped a foot on UK soil or intend to. Mass surveillance is a threat to everyone, but this is not an instance of that, which has guards against it, like encryption. This is…

A similar law passed in Australia a few years ago; various Australian law enforcement agencies can request or even demand companies to make changes to their code (read: introduce backdoors). Until people and companies start treating Australian-made software as dangerous to the extent that it affects the economy, other countries will probably follow with similar laws. That should include being hesitant to use American…

Current state of this, as far as I can tell: https://www.firstattribute.com/en/news/eu-data-boundary-for-...

Note that it's seemingly unclear whether it's OK for EU companies to store data even on EU servers of US parent companies. Although very little has actually been done about this and everyone, governments included, is still using Microsoft 365.

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#24
post #5

I think this is an unquestionable overreach on the UK's part. If you live in any country that isn't the UK, you should feel the threat from this: the UK government believes that it is entitled to a backdoor on your hardware, even if you've never stepped a foot on UK soil or intend to. Mass surveillance is a threat to everyone, but this is not an instance of that, which has guards against it, like encryption. This is…

Do you remember when Theresa May had to tell the US no when they wanted to profile UK citizens of certain ethnic backgrounds for US travel?

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#25
post #5

I think this is an unquestionable overreach on the UK's part. If you live in any country that isn't the UK, you should feel the threat from this: the UK government believes that it is entitled to a backdoor on your hardware, even if you've never stepped a foot on UK soil or intend to. Mass surveillance is a threat to everyone, but this is not an instance of that, which has guards against it, like encryption. This is…

A similar law passed in Australia a few years ago; various Australian law enforcement agencies can request or even demand companies to make changes to their code (read: introduce backdoors). Until people and companies start treating Australian-made software as dangerous to the extent that it affects the economy, other countries will probably follow with similar laws. That should include being hesitant to use American…

More context: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/09/australia-thr...

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#27
post #5

I think this is an unquestionable overreach on the UK's part. If you live in any country that isn't the UK, you should feel the threat from this: the UK government believes that it is entitled to a backdoor on your hardware, even if you've never stepped a foot on UK soil or intend to. Mass surveillance is a threat to everyone, but this is not an instance of that, which has guards against it, like encryption. This is…

> This is a dramatic overreach of authority.

Well, the rest of the world lives with the USA constantly doing this. Hopefully you dont support that as well.

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#28

Not to be cynical, but if anyone has looked at anything revealed about security agencies in the last few years it's very clear what's happening here - whenever US wants to do something unpopular/straight up illegal, it just asks the UK(or any other partner country) to do it instead. American government can't ask Apple for data on any American citizen, but if UK obtains that data and then it happens to be shared betwe…

You are right... I hadn't put that together.

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#29
post #5

I think this is an unquestionable overreach on the UK's part. If you live in any country that isn't the UK, you should feel the threat from this: the UK government believes that it is entitled to a backdoor on your hardware, even if you've never stepped a foot on UK soil or intend to. Mass surveillance is a threat to everyone, but this is not an instance of that, which has guards against it, like encryption. This is…

A similar law passed in Australia a few years ago; various Australian law enforcement agencies can request or even demand companies to make changes to their code (read: introduce backdoors). Until people and companies start treating Australian-made software as dangerous to the extent that it affects the economy, other countries will probably follow with similar laws. That should include being hesitant to use American…

It’s not just at Australian made hardware or software. You think Australia won’t try to assert this against a global company with presence in Australia?

Re: U.K. demand for a back door to Apple data threatens Americans, lawmakers say

#30
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In this specific case: good. I don’t want USA companies cooperating with UK’s extremist policies like this one.

Companies cannot really stand up to governments. Unless another government gets involved, Apple will have to follow UK law if they want to keep doing business in that country. By the way, the US is not a stranger to that kind of overreach, either (e.g. CLOUD act).

A large part of what enables huge multinational companies like Apple to be successful and resist stuff like this is a friendly administration and threats by the largest economy in the world.

Apple is being sufficiently friendly with the current administration that lawmakers are going to go to bat for them and prevent this sort of stuff from happening. Apple is a pawn on a global stage and the governments are the true players. It’s always been this way, it’s just more obvious now. The big sea change has been the last four years big tech has been a target of its own government as well as foreign governments. That’s largely why you’ve seen big tech jump ship to a political party that better serves their interests and doesn’t constantly investigate them. I’m not being political here, it’s just a fact of life.

Apple is going to be protected as they bent the knee and kissed the ring, just look at the name of the large Gulf to the southeast of the United States in Apple Maps.

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