Just a couple of weeks after Apple turned off Advanced Data Protection in the UK, following that government’s decision to try to compel Apple to weaken encryption, the saga has taken another turn.
The Financial Times [paywall] reports that Apple is appealing the order but with the whole process meant to be kept under wraps neither Apple nor Britain’s Home Office or the Investigatory Powers Tribunal have made any official comments.
The entire fiasco is now mired in global politics. President Trump, in a rare moment of clarity, said the UK government’s demand was akin to “something that you hear about with China”. It’s also possible that the demands would put the UK in breach of the US government’s CLOUD Act., which bars the United Kingdom from issuing demands for the data of US citizens.
Australia has long battled with the balancing act between individual privacy and the demands of law enforcement. Generally, successive Australian governments from both sides of the political spectrum have tipped the balance in favour of the needs of law enforcement. But thus far there’s been radio silence from Australian officials.
Should Apple be put in the same situation here, and it chooses to remove Advanced Data Protection for Australians, we’ll be looking for alternatives. One assumes other similar providers will also be in the government’s sights. That may have people looking to move their iCloud subscriptions to Proton Drive or other similar services.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.