Urgent Warning for UK Apple Users: Your Data Protection Is Being Removed And Here is What It Means

Apple has announced it will remove its highest level of data protection, known as Advanced Data Protection (ADP), for users in the UK following a government demand for access to encrypted user data.

ADP, which provides “true end-to-end encryption,” ensures that only the account user can access their iCloud data, locking it away from everyone else, including Apple.

However, the UK government has ordered Apple to allow access to fully encrypted files under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, prompting the tech giant to withdraw ADP rather than create a “backdoor” into its systems.

The government, police, and online safety advocates argue that end-to-end encryption can be exploited by criminals, such as terrorists and child abusers, to hide their activities. Rani Govender of the NSPCC emphasized the need for Apple to consider alternative measures to protect children, as encryption can enable offenders to operate undetected.

While iMessages, FaceTime, and health data stored on iCloud will remain end-to-end encrypted globally, the removal of ADP weakens security for UK users. Cybersecurity experts, including Professor Oli Buckley of Loughborough University, warn that this move makes UK users more vulnerable to cyber threats and potential exploitation.

Buckley noted that creating a backdoor for law enforcement increases the risk of malicious use, as any such access point can eventually be exploited.

Apple expressed disappointment over the decision, stating that ADP is crucial for protecting user data amid rising data breaches and privacy threats. The company reiterated its commitment to user security and emphasized that it has never created a backdoor or master key for its products and never will.

Existing UK users of ADP will eventually need to disable the feature, and new users will no longer have the option to enable it. Apple hopes to restore ADP in the UK in the future.