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U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

washingtonpost.com

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Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#401

Post by wizzwizz4 »

Oras wrote: post #189
captainbland wrote: post #129

Given recent polling, we have to assume that what is MI5's today will be Reform's tomorrow. We have to ask what our government and judiciary are doing putting our privacy in the hands of the far-right.

Does it matter who has access to the data? It’s the principal not the actor

If there were a way to magically ensure that only the good guys had access to the information, I'd be way less concerned about these measures. (There are only a few things that I care about being secret for the sake of secrecy, and I can easily keep those off of computers.)

Every encryption backdoor is a huge vulnerability. Even if we somehow ensure that the powers-that-be remain entirely trustworthy (something that, historically, we can't even manage for a century), they're not the only people who'll have access to the backdoor. It's not possible to make an encryption backdoor that only authorised parties can use: as they say, the laws of mathematics do not respect the laws of Australia.

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#402

Post by elcritch »

JoshTriplett wrote: post #243
throw0101c wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> By banning Apple from doing business in the UK. To use poker terminology: I think that if the UK made this bet that Apple would call.

I really hope so. I would love to see that showdown. Hopefully, "can't buy an iPhone in the UK and everyone knows why" makes the Snooper's Charter a radioactive mess that legislators fall all over themselves to repeal.

Exactly, imagine the legislatures facing their irate teen daughters for bricking Apple devices.

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#404

Post by sepositus »

aunty_helen wrote: post #357
TechnicalVault wrote: post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It creates a nasty precedent doesn't it? If Apple can provide the UK government with foreign data, what's to stop Russia or China making them provide data on UK minister's phones, or more likely dissidents in exile? I can't see on what basis the government thinks they're going to get to be exceptional here?

Why are you using Russia and China as examples of the bad guys here. They're not asking for global access to everyones data, the UK is. The UK are the bad guys.

Why did you assume the context was "bad guys?" It's a well-known fact that there's a lot of geopolitical tension between Russia/China and Western Europe. The comment is raising the point that by setting this precedent they are opening the doors for their geopolitical rivals to publicly do the same (we already know it happens through private state-sponsored cyber gangs).

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#405

Post by zahllos »

rvz wrote: post #338
maeil wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a UK citizen, is there anything I can do to dissuade this? If you voted for this Tory-lite government, then you can stop voting for any future Tory-lite governments. If you did not, there's not much you can do in practice without devoting your life to it.

> If you voted for this Tory-lite government If you agree that Brexit happened under the Tories and not Labour, then we can also agree that THIS order is happening under the newly elected "Labour Party" and not the "Tories", or so-called "Tory-lite" names. It's completely pointless trying to remove accountability of this government's illogical actions and then to immediately resort to blaming the previous government…

RIPA and key disclosure law came in under Tony Blair's labour government as well, along with https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Data_Bill_200..., arguably the precursor idea to the IPA that this notice was issued under.

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#406

Post by banku_brougham »

cpymchn wrote: post #77

What's new here? As mentioned in the article, Salt Typhoon and the recency of this request by the UK. At this point they should know better. My pet theory is anytime the US wants to do something illegal under US law, they simply ask the UK to do it and vice versa. That's why Salt Typhoon isn't and never will be a lesson learned.

It's not a pet theory, it's exactly how the Five-Eyes system is meant to work. I remember when Total Information Awareness was announced and they even had a cool badge designed for the new govt department. It wasn't a popular idea.

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#407

Post by arghandugh »

Love swinging through here to collect the latest crop of:

- that’s silly - they can’t do that legally - this makes no technical sense - this is a bad idea - this will never happen

The entire globe becomes Xi Jinpeng’s China with American Characteristics after the iCloud encryption system is neutered and a court warrant is no longer needed.

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#408

Post by talldayo »

mdhb wrote: post #312
madeofpalk wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems apparent to me that Apple leaked this information to US press in an attempt to get the UK to back off. Wouldn't Apple also try to subvert the attempt for US intelligence to get a backdoor? Or do we think Apple has less of a leg to stand on with US and would be more likely to roll over?

You are out of your mind if you think files in iCloud are somehow outside the reach of US intel. It’s been publicly used in a bunch of prosecutions at this point.

I mean, you're right. People think "end to end" encryption helps them, but they forget that Apple controls both the server and client more than the user does.

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#409

Post by cbeach »

didntcheck wrote: post #393
cbeach wrote: post #47

I’m so ashamed to be a U.K. citizen and to have both legacy parties (Tories and Labour) staunchly supporting these horrendous breaches of privacy. We have had a number of bad laws over the last ten years that have entrenched state surveillance and presumption of guilt. The only party I can see taking a principled stance on civil liberties is Reform UK, whose policy document states: > A British Bill of Rights > Our fr…

In the past the Lib Dems were quite good at standing up for privacy and liberties when Lab and Con were both agreeing on more intrusion, but I'm not sure if that's still the case

Lib Dems did vote against the Investigatory Powers Bill (2016), and Nick Clegg blocked the original Snoopers Charter (Draft Communications Data Bill). So they have good form on this.

However, since 2016 the party almost exclusively shifted focus to opposing Brexit... which is ironic for a party that describes itself as "Liberal Democrats," trying to overthrow a public referendum (the strongest form of democracy)

The party seems to have lost its way, sadly.

Re: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

#410

Post by talldayo »

arghandugh wrote: post #407

Love swinging through here to collect the latest crop of: - that’s silly - they can’t do that legally - this makes no technical sense - this is a bad idea - this will never happen The entire globe becomes Xi Jinpeng’s China with American Characteristics after the iCloud encryption system is neutered and a court warrant is no longer needed.

To be fair, Apple seemingly has no qualms letting the CCP surveil iCloud: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208351
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