FBI ‘Deeply Concerned’ After Apple Says Nearly All iCloud Data Now Has End-to-End Encryption

Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Apple on Dec. 7 announced a string of new security features, including full end-to-end encryption for nearly all the data its users store in its global iCloud storage system, prompting concern from the FBI.

The Apple logo at an Apple Store in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Oct. 23, 2020. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

In an overview of the new feature posted to the Apple website, the California-headquartered tech giant said its “Advanced Data Protection” optional setting will provide its users with the “highest level of cloud data security” and keep user data safe even in the event of a data breach in the cloud.

“If you choose to enable Advanced Data Protection, your trusted devices retain sole access to the encryption keys for the majority of your iCloud data, thereby protecting it using end-to-end encryption. Additional data protected includes iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more,” Apple said.

End-to-end encryption means that not even Apple can access the data, according to the company.

If you lose access to your account, only you can recover this data, using your device passcode or password, recovery contact, or recovery key,” the company said.

The new feature will be available on iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS 13.1 for users in the United States by the end of the year, before rolling out to the rest of the world in early 2023, according to Apple.

Users can enable it by enrolling in two-factor authentication for their Apple ID and setting a password or passcode on their devices.

A iPhone is seen in a file photograph. (Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images)

Apple Hands Over Account Data to FBI

Apple already protects 14 sensitive data categories via default end-to-end encryption. Data covered by Advanced Data Protection includes iCloud Backup, photos, notes, reminders, voice memos, and more.

The move marks a turning point for Apple. While its iMessage and Facetime communications services are fully encrypted end-to-end, the large majority of what users back up remotely via iCloud, such as photos and videos, are not.

Apple said on Wednesday that the new data protections represent the “next step in its ongoing effort to provide users with even stronger ways to protect their data.”

However, the decision will also no doubt exacerbate ongoing tensions with law enforcement, including the FBI, which has requested that Apple hand over data from iPhones multiple times. Apple does so but only to an extent, according to the company, stopping short of handing over all of the data on the phone.

According to Apple’s most recent transparency report, the tech giant handed over data to law enforcement 3,980 times from January to June 2021, with the majority of the user data tied to Brazil and the United States.

“Account requests generally seek information regarding customers’ Apple ID accounts, such as account holder name and address and account connections to Apple services—for example, law enforcement investigations where an account may have been used unlawfully,” according to Apple. “Account requests may also seek customers’ content data, such as photos, email, iOS device backups, contacts or calendars.”

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About the Author: Patriotman

Patriotman currently ekes out a survivalist lifestyle in a suburban northeastern state as best as he can. He has varied experience in political science, public policy, biological sciences, and higher education. Proudly Catholic and an Eagle Scout, he has no military experience and thus offers a relatable perspective for the average suburban prepper who is preparing for troubled times on the horizon with less than ideal teams and in less than ideal locations. Brushbeater Store Page: http://bit.ly/BrushbeaterStore

3 Comments

  1. my2cents December 9, 2022 at 12:27

    Does anyone really believe that any or all data on that site is safe! Any encryption routine is like a lock on a door, it will slow someone down but not stop them from breaking in. This includes including full end-to-end encryption. Not to mention that there are now federal statutes that prohibit this action. Correct me if I am wrong but, Apple turned over the keys to all the encryption when the federal statues were passed years ago.

  2. Bootnee Lee Farnsworth December 9, 2022 at 18:34

    If the FIB-NKVD comes calling Apple will bend right over.
    It isn’t your data or money in Chiquitastan.

  3. Chris December 10, 2022 at 04:08

    The Cloud😂😂🆗
    That worked well for NSA TAO and The Christians in Action.
    Ok, i know it wasn’t the cloud, but the point still stands.

    If’in your using these computy D-vices, your burned.
    Or At least you should assume so and plan accordingly.
    im uneducated opinion.

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