The funny thing is, advanced data protection was optional, and not on by default. Apple just stopped offering it in the UK

How to turn on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud - Apple Support

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud offers our highest level of cloud data security and protects the majority of your iCloud data using end-to-end encryption.

Apple Support (support.apple.com)

When it’s enabled, they can’t access iCloud data at all, even with a warrant due to the fact it’s E2E with keys they don’t control. That’s what the UK got really mad about. But Apple shut the whole feature down for the UK in response to the backdoor ask.

It’s not different from the UK banning signal because it’s E2E encrypted and they can’t access it.

They’re likely only backing down now because of consumer/media backlash

Apple would need to supply the data if they had the encryption key right? So can we assume that even Apple cannot see the encrypted data?

Correct, standard iCloud data is accessible with a warrant. But the UK wanted their own backdoor so they have constant access without a warrant.

But with advanced data protection, Apple can’t provide the data because they don’t have the encryption keys, regardless of a warrant.

Important to note iMessage is always E2E encrypted though, so iMessages cannot be accessed even with a warrant. Advanced data protection just expands that to all iCloud data

Okay interesting, thank you for the info.

Who even uses iMessage these days? Pretty sure I turned it off completely because it was messing with the 5 SMS I send in a year ...

iMessage is far more common in the US afaik. Whereas most people elsewhere will use WhatsApp or whatever, nobody in my extended family uses anything but iMessage to communicate

Ah, yeah right, the US is still stuck in the 00s with that (and payment methods).

But iMessage doesn't work on Android and by default the message will just fail if they have an Android phone and you use iMessage.

That is interesting. In Europe it just switches to text message automatically when sending to people with android.

Could add cameras in their homes and work, so we can monitor them 24/7 with AI.

Ask them for a backdoor to their wives for "national security"

They should allow a backdoor, but only on UK Parliament members' phones.

Let’s not even get into the legitimacy of a state calling itself “The UK of GB and NI” when they’d have a tough time proving NI is entirely onboard

UK keeps forgetting that it's just a little country now. It can't play the big boy games like the EU and US any more.

Correct, standard iCloud data is accessible with a warrant. But the UK wanted their own backdoor so they have constant access without a warrant.

But with advanced data protection, Apple can’t provide the data because they don’t have the encryption keys, regardless of a warrant.

Important to note iMessage is always E2E encrypted though, so iMessages cannot be accessed even with a warrant. Advanced data protection just expands that to all iCloud data

Using iMessage with backups does mean the backups are unencrypted and accessible by warrant (unless you use advanced data protection)

In The Netherlands it doesn't and last time I checked we are still part of Europe lol

iMessage will use SMS for 2 person conversations with Android, MMS for groups (and if your carrier disabled MMS it doesn't work IIRC)

The whole having a backdoor to encryption is bullshit, that defeats the entire point.

I do understand that they want some kind of control on things like encryption, since criminals/terrorist/etc can abuse it as well. Keeping society safe is kinda important, and some level of transparency is used for that. This like deposited annual reports for example will help find companies/people funding terrorism.

But we should never completely compromise the privacy of individuals