Apple has stopped offering end-to-end encrypted iCloud storage, Advanced Data Protection (ADP), to new users in the UK and will require existing users to disable the feature at some point in the future. The move comes after reports that UK security services requested Apple grant them backdoor access to worldwide users’ encrypted backups.
In a statement, Apple spokesperson Julien Trosdorf said the company “can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users” and warned current UK users would eventually need to disable this security feature. ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, making it accessible only to the account owner.
However, British users’ files will now be accessible to Apple and shareable with law enforcement, although a warrant would still be required. Some types of iCloud data remain encrypted, including passwords, health information, payment details, and iMessage logs.
Existing users in the UK will not have the feature automatically disabled, but they will receive an unspecified amount of time to disable ADP to keep using their iCloud account. Apple has always maintained that it does not build backdoors or master keys for its products or services.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/617273/apple-removes-encryption-advanced-data-protection-adp-uk-spying-backdoor