Apple Halts Advanced Data Protection in UK Following Encryption Backdoor Order

Apple removes its enhanced iCloud encryption feature in the UK after government demands for data access, raising global privacy concerns.

Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature in the UK, which provided end-to-end encryption for iCloud data, following a government order under the Investigatory Powers Act.
The UK government requested a backdoor to access encrypted data, but Apple refused, citing security risks and the potential for misuse by bad actors.
UK users who previously enabled ADP must manually disable it to retain their iCloud accounts, as Apple cannot deactivate the feature on their behalf.
While some iCloud data categories remain end-to-end encrypted, such as health data and iMessage, the removal of ADP reduces overall security for UK users.
Privacy advocates warn this move could set a precedent for other governments to demand similar compromises, potentially impacting global user data security.