With the security excuse, the United Kingdom has demanded from Apple to open an intentional gap in the privacy of its users that could have severe global consequences.
Why is it important. The British government order would force Apple to create a universal access rear door to ICloud. That would not only compromise the security and privacy of British users: it would affect those around the world.
The context. The British government has secretly ordered Apple to create a mechanism that allows access to all the encrypted content that any Apple user rises to the cloud, regardless of its location. He has revealed it The Washington Post citing their own sources.
Between the lines. The British demand goes far beyond punctual collaboration with justice: it seeks to have total and permanent access to user encrypted data. We had never seen anything like that in a western democracy.
What will happen now? It is an enigma, but there is a scenario that seems very likely: if this goes ahead, Apple will surely stop offering encryption storage in the United Kingdom rather than compromise global security.
- The order is based on the controversial Law of Investigation Powers of 2016, known as “Fake letter“
- The law prohibits Apple to reveal the existence of this order or warn its users.
The threat. If the United Kingdom gets this access, other countries could demand the same privilege, and that would create a domino effect that would load privacy as we know it. All world’s iPhone users would have a strainer on their phone.
The battle for digital privacy always to two irreconcilable visions:
- National Security that governments claim
- The protection of data that defend technological ones.
The following will be to see how Apple responds to this request, what options they have left and how it protects the privacy of its users if British legislation is reached that raises such an invasive scenario.
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Outstanding image | Pexels, Xataka with Mockuuups Studio