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Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

bbc.com

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Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#331

Post by xyst »

tene80i wrote: post #239

I have a naive question, and it's genuine curiosity, not a defence of what's happening here. This ADP feature has only existed for a couple of years, right? I understand people are mad that it's now gone, but why weren't people mad _before_ it existed? For like, a decade? Why do people treat iCloud as immediately dangerous now, if they didn't before? Did they think it was fully encrypted when it wasn't? Did people no…

People were mad. Remember the Snowden leaks and PRISM program from NSA? [1]

In fact, Apple began to adopt “privacy” first marketing due to this fallout. Apple even doubled down on this by not assisting FBI with unlocking a terrorist suspects Apple device in 2016. [2]

It was around that time I actually had _some_ respect for Apple. I was even a “Apple fanboy” for some time. But that respect and fanboi-ism was lost between 2019 and now.

Between the deterioration of the Apple ecosystem (shitty macOS updates), pushing scanning of photos and uploading to central server (CSAM scanning scandal?), the god awful “Apple wall”, very poor interoperability, and very anti-repair stance of devices.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants...

[2] https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/28/news/companies/fbi-apple-ip...

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#332

Post by IneffablePigeon »

Eavolution wrote: post #128

What are you actually supposed to do in the UK if you oppose this sort of thing to stop laws like this coming in? It feels like the government has been incredibly out of touch for the last number of years.

Join the ORG for starters. Contact your MP. But yes, the number of people who care is small and so things will not change until it is large.

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#334

Post by ornornor »

cupcakecommons wrote: post #238
ornornor wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because that’s working so well for the US

it's working really well, we don't get arrested for social media posts as far as I can tell

If that’s the bar then I guess yes it’s a resounding success for freedom.

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#335

Post by RenThraysk »

drexlspivey wrote: post #318
RenThraysk wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would just upload the keys

Presumably these keys live in a hardware security module on your phone called “secure enclave” and cannot be extracted

Ah yes, good point.

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#336

Post by Apfel »

redox99 wrote: post #280
Eavolution wrote: post #128

What are you actually supposed to do in the UK if you oppose this sort of thing to stop laws like this coming in? It feels like the government has been incredibly out of touch for the last number of years.

I would guess you'd vote a libertarian party.

Probably the best on the civil liberties front are the Liberal Democrats (they were pretty good at quashing mandatory national ID cards back in the day, at least).

That being said, they still have a lot of folk angry at them for allowing university fees to be introduced 15 years ago when they were in coalition government (a Tory policy!).

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#337

Post by r00fus »

dustingetz wrote: post #316
bArray wrote: post #106

Too right, it was far more problematic than they ever made out. > The UK government's demand came through a "technical capability notice" under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), requiring Apple to create a backdoor that would allow British security officials to access encrypted user data globally. The order would have compromised Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, which provides end-to-end encryption for iCl…

how much distance between 1) tech monopoly strong enough to stand up to G7 nation state demands 2) tech monopoly strong enough to remove itself from G7 nation state jurisdiction? edit: s/monopoly/empire, apologies

It's amusing to think of Apple as a "monopoly" (if anything they have a monopsony on TSMC production) but let's just replace that with "giant" for purposes of discussion.

Tech giants typically devolve local operations to small companies to avoid liability - think petroleum suppliers not owning gas stations (because those typically end up as superfund sites). Not sure if this analogy this works for Google Android and all the manufacturers that deploy it for their smartphones too.

So corporations have been doing this forever, trying to find legal loopholes where they can have their cake and eat it too.

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#338

Post by GeekyBear »

tene80i wrote: post #239

I have a naive question, and it's genuine curiosity, not a defence of what's happening here. This ADP feature has only existed for a couple of years, right? I understand people are mad that it's now gone, but why weren't people mad _before_ it existed? For like, a decade? Why do people treat iCloud as immediately dangerous now, if they didn't before? Did they think it was fully encrypted when it wasn't? Did people no…

You've always been able to perform encrypted backups to your own local PC or Mac out of the box, so people who do care about privacy have always had that option.

One thing I've found concerning is that Apple had encrypted cloud backups ready to roll out years ago, but delayed releasing the feature when the US government objected.

> After years of delay under government pressure, Apple said Wednesday that it will offer fully encrypted backups of photos, chat histories and most other sensitive user data in its cloud storage system worldwide, putting them out of reach of most hackers, spies and law enforcement.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/07/icloud-...

So the UK government isn't the only government that has objected to users having real privacy protections.

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#339

Post by grahamj »

dmix wrote: post #82
soraminazuki wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, the title says > Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

Only in the UK, everyone else should still do it. Not on by default

Apple should start prompting users to enable it.

Re: Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

#340

Post by 1propionyl »

vroomvroomboom wrote: post #234
Molitor5901 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. There is a technological disconnect for a lot of people. They accept actions like this because they don't fully appreciate, IMHO, the ramifications. We do, and we must do more to educate people.

[flagged]

I'm sure the condescending attitude and negative stereotyping will sway readers.
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