Apple Takes the UK Government To Court

[Speb]

"First of a kind" legal challenge.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/05/ ... /?td=rt-3a

Context: The UK requested Apple give them a backdoor in private, this was then leaked, Apple refused to do it, however they did stop people in the UK from using their Advanced Data Protection feature, so the UK kind of got what they wanted, until now.

I'm a UK resident, and slowly have been learning more and more about how it is a baby surveillance state and it seems to get worse and worse every year. Without trying to get political, this problem has been advancing year on year regardless of the party in charge. Once again the UK proves why we need all of the encryption and privacy tools it's trying to undermine, and that we have always been the baddies

Props to Apple for sticking up for user privacy, once again.

[Crazyroostereye]

I hear about that a while ago. Every place trying to do that really, the UK is not the only place.

The EU attempted to pass the Chat Control Act and almost succeeded, luckily it didn't. Which would have required Companies like Apple and Google to add a State Trojan into your Phone to scan for illegal content, even on your encrypted Chats and systems, as it would have access to your Phone/Computer Screen. Completely negating E2E.

[December_W_Wolf]

I hear about that a while ago. Every place trying to do that really, the UK is not the only place.

The EU attempted to pass the Chat Control Act and almost succeeded, luckily it didn't. Which would have required Companies like Apple and Google to add a State Trojan into your Phone to scan for illegal content, even on your encrypted Chats and systems, as it would have access to your Phone/Computer Screen. Completely negating E2E.

You know what, at this point we may as well all get DS'es and just use PictoChat to communicate (I suppose it's a bit of a half-joke, in the sense that everybody buying a Nintendo DS to use PictoChat is a tad ridiculous, but if governments do manage to pass those kinds of laws then people will have to resort to more far-fetched alternatives to skirt around the scanning and documenting of their personal files, chats, data, contacts etc.)

[Crazyroostereye]

The Issues is that the vast majority of People won't care. I know so many People that say they don't care. That will always be the case. As long as it doesn't affect ME directly there is no Issue. The People only care when it is actively and perceivably hurting them and only them.

A quote that Is tan gently aligns the Issue of only carrying once it affects you is from Martin Niemöller. An Initially Nazi sympathiser that, once the Nazis came to Power had issue with them messing in the affairs of the Protestant Church. And became Vocal critic until he was eventually arrested.

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Kommunist.
When the Nazis came for the Communist, I was quite; as I was not a Communist
Als sie die Gewerkschaftler holten, habe ich geschwiegen, ich war ja kein Gewerkschaftler
When they came for the Unionist, I stayed quite, as I was not a Unionist
Als sie die Juden holten, habe ich geschwiegen, ich war ja kein Jude.
When they came for the Jews, I stayed quite, as I was not a Jew
Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.
When they came for me, there was nobody any more who could protest

This is an extreme example, but still encapsulates the Issue. We only start to speak up when It affects us negatively and Privacy Issues don't affect us that Negatively. People in general don't get Prosecuted by the Company with the Data they collect until they are, but then the others dont care.

[Speb]

Every place trying to do that really, the UK is not the only place.

You're right, France is going at it as well.. Pretty scary stuff.

[Speb]

Updating this thread with a relevant Wired article, it is pay walled if you have viewed one of their articles recently.

TLDR: The UK, France and Sweden are all taking measures to undermine E2E Encryption, the European Union plan to scan private chats and India passed a law in 2021 that requires 'traceability' to all of its messages being sent in the country which threatens WhatsApp.

Despite countries reccomending the use of E2E encrypted services, they are now switching up and trying to undermine them by demanding backdoors or introducing legislation against it.

There is now evidence supporting the fact that the UK asked Google to implement a backdoor also.

All of this goes directly against what agencies like CISA, the NCSC and the FBI, and even the Whitehouse, reccomend.

[Crazyroostereye]

Most Information Services, CIA, FBI, BND, MI6, recommend E2E encryption as this does Prevent Spying from Foreign Parties, but they also want access to your Communication as well, as it brings Results. Anom for example, where they sold a Crypto Phone on to the Underground Market. Which gave them access to all Communication of Users using these Phones "E2E" services. Leading to the biggest Sting Operation in History.
Having that sort of access makes every Inner Security Agency Wet.

My Personal Issue with the Backdoor thing is, you aren't only giving Your Government a Backdoor, you also give them the Responsibility to keep your Communications Secure. And well my Government at least sucks at that big time. Because maybe an Employ use the nice Password Password to the Portal that has access to the Backdoor. Also, Privacy when I want to communicate Privately I have Constitutional Right to do so. This also includes on the Internet.