The UK government has asked Apple to create a backdoor in its encrypted cloud services, raising concerns about the fairness of US tech companies in protecting user privacy.
According to a report by the Washington Post, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a “Technical Capacity Notice” under the Investigation Powers Act (IPA), requiring companies to assist law enforcement in providing evidence.
The demand issued last month is related to Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) service, which encrypts personal data uploaded to Apple’s cloud servers. Apple promotes privacy as a core value and describes it as a basic human right.
Apple uses end-to-end encryption, meaning only the account owner can decrypt the file. Apple has declined to comment on the request but previously expressed concerns about the IPA allowing the government to issue secret orders requiring providers to break encryption.
The UK government’s request has sparked a debate in the cybersecurity community, with experts warning about the implications of creating backdoors for accessing user data.
The multinational nature of the order may also conflict with EU regulations on data protection, potentially impacting the free flow of personal data between the EU and the UK.
Source: www.theguardian.com
