Apple would have been ordered by the British government to allow it access to encrypted data stored by company users worldwide in its cloud service.
For the moment, only the Apple account holder can access this data – even the American technology giant cannot see it.
AppleWho makes iPhones, iPads and IMACs, has received a technical capacity notice (TCN), the Washington Post And Bbc report.
This order, which is not published, would require a general capacity for the government to see the encrypted data of people – in the United Kingdom and abroad.
The Ministry of the Interior will not confirm or refuse the existence of the order. Apple was approached for comments.
Bringing technological companies to break encryption has long been a disputed issue in the British government.
The ministers argued that they wanted to use it for purposes such as the protection of children, the identification of criminals and the maintenance of the public.
What are the concerns?
Opponents say that it is a violation of privacy. They also highlight the risk for denunciators and journalists, and emphasize that any tool that the government must enter people’s information has the danger of being diverted by bad actors.
It is also feared that, if it was implemented, the order of the United Kingdom could lead nations such as China to force Western companies to break the confidentiality of their users.
“Advanced data protection”
On Apple products, users can use advanced data protection (ADP).
The British government’s request applies to all content stored using ADP, which means that certain data can only be decrypted by the user.
Apple promises that even a cloud data violation would not make the information readable.
Users are also told that Apple cannot see the data due to end -to -end encryption used to share the information.
End -to -end encryption means that the messages and data sent between two aircraft can only be read by the person to which they are sent – and are scrambled if someone else tries to intercept them or access them .
The debate stretches Until 2017When the home secretary, Amber Rudd, said that “I don’t need to understand how encryption works” to do so broke.
The British government’s ordinance was made under the United Kingdom of the 2016 Powder of Investigation Powers, according to the Washington Post. The law indicates that orders can be applied to companies outside the United Kingdom.
There are ways so that Apple calls against TCN, but this process would not be made public.
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The notice indicated to Apple users wishing to use advanced data protection
The Labor Government was frank in its desire to target social media and technology in power.
This recently includes the trumpet of its plans to be the first country in the world at Create a new violation of sexual abuse on AI To punish those who generate and facilitate the creation of sexual abuse images on the children of AI.
And Home secretary Yvette Cooper Criticized social media companies for not having been fast enough to eliminate the videos consulted by Southport Killer Axel Rudakubana.
Last year, Apple provided written evidence to deputies on its numerous oppositions to the law on investigation powers and TCN.
He noted that the law gives the British government the power of “acting as a global regulator” of security technology – something that could contradict him with authorities such as the European Union and the United States.
Order “would undermine human rights”
The American company also declared that an order to force decryption “would fundamentally undermine human rights” and potentially put the United Kingdom in contradiction with the European Court of Human Rights.
“There is no reason why the (British government) should have the power to decide on the citizens of the world if it can take advantage of the proven security services which arise from an end -to -end encryption,” said Apple.
He added: “In addition, any attempt by the (Secretary of State) to use his extraterritorial powers to oblige technological companies to weaken encryption technology will only strengthen the hands of malicious actors who seek to fly and exploit Personal data for harmful purposes. “
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A spokesperson for the Privacy and Civil Liberty Campaign Group Big Brother Watch said: “We urge the British government to immediately cancel this draconian ordinance and stop attempted mass surveillance instead of targeted powers already at their disposal. ”
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “We do not start operational issues, including for example confirming or denying the existence of these opinions.”