Time to Start De-Appling
12 days ago
- #encryption
- #Apple
- #privacy
- Apple is withdrawing its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature from the UK due to the Home Office TCN through the Investigatory Powers Act.
- Users in the UK who already had ADP enabled must manually switch it off or lose their iCloud account.
- ADP will no longer be available for new UK users, and existing users will lose access unless they act.
- iCloud data categories like Backup, Drive, Photos, Notes, etc., will revert to Standard Data Protection without end-to-end encryption (e2ee).
- Users are advised to move critical data off iCloud to e2ee services like Proton, Standard Notes, Obsidian, or Joplin.
- The TCN applies globally to all iCloud users, not just those in the UK, raising broader security concerns.
- A second TCN targets British citizens' data, adding nationality checks, but details remain unclear due to confidentiality.
- Legal challenges and media coverage (Computer Weekly, Financial Times) are the only sources of information on the TCNs.
- Users outside the UK should enable ADP immediately if they haven’t already.
- The article emphasizes the importance of de-Googling, de-Appling, and moving away from the American tech stack for better privacy.