A notice has been served to tech giant, Apple, asking for permissions over data, which users have full autonomy over, to be shared with UK authorities. Not even Apple as a big tech corporation has access to encrypted data users store in its Cloud service.
The data request was made by the Home Office under the Investigatory Powers Act, which some have called an act of privacy violation.
Apple account users are granted full ownership over their data in the Cloud. The UK’s request is unique and a powerful overstep, some said. The encryption of data means Apple can not see it either. The notice may go unheard with Apple choosing to maintain its privacy policies for its 2.2 billion users worldwide, who will use encryption. Billions of people worldwide use encryption services on apps granted by tech companies including Apple, Google and Meta.
Permission to access data of a specific account would only be granted in the most critical circumstances – a national security threat, but it cannot be granted for mass surveillance. Apple has previously said outrageous requests could prompt them to remove all security services in the UK.
