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UK’s secret Apple iCloud backdoor order is a global emergency, say critics


Security experts say the ‘draconian’ order would have global ramifications that make this a privacy ‘emergency for us all’

The secret order — issued under the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (known as the Snoopers’ Charter) — aims to undermine an opt-in Apple feature that provides end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for iCloud backups, called Advanced Data Protection. While the U.K. government declined to comment to TechCrunch on the report, British officials have long argued that E2EE makes it more difficult to gather digital evidence for criminal prosecutions and collect intelligence for national security. “Decisions about Americans’ privacy and security should be made in America, in an open and transparent fashion, not through secret orders from abroad requiring keys be left under doormats,” the CCIA said.

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