UK Demands Access To Apple Users' Encrypted Data -- BBC

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) LONDON, Feb 7 (KUNA) -- The UK government has demanded to be able to access encrypted data stored by Apple users worldwide in its cloud service, BBC reported on Friday.
Currently only the Apple account holder can access data stored in this way. The tech giant itself cannot view it.
Legally, the notice, served by the Home Office under the Investigatory Powers Act, cannot be made public, and Apple declined to comment.
The notice applies to all content stored using Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP), which encrypts the data meaning that Apple itself cannot see it.
It is an opt-in service and not all users choose to activate it.
If they lose access to their account, the added encryption means there is no way of retrieving any of their data.
The firm has previously said it would pull security services from the UK market rather than comply with any government demands to weaken them by creating so-called "back doors" to grant the authorities access to user data on demand.
Cyber security experts agree that once such an entry point is in place, it is only a matter of time before bad actors also discover it, according to BBC report.
And withdrawing the product from the UK might not be enough to ensure compliance - the Investigatory Powers Act applies worldwide to any tech firm with a UK market, even if they are not based in Britain.
The tech giant can appeal against the government's demand but cannot delay implementing the ruling during the process even if it is eventually overturned, according to the legislation.
The government argues that encryption enables criminals to hide more easily, and the FBI in the US has also been critical of the ADP tool. (end)
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