**Apple Discontinues Enhanced iCloud Encryption in the UK Amidst Government Conflict**
Apple has turned off its most sophisticated iCloud security functionality for users in the UK following its refusal to meet a government request for backdoor entry to encrypted user information.
This feature, referred to as **Advanced Data Protection**, delivers end-to-end encryption for files and backups kept in iCloud, ensuring that access to the data is exclusive to the account holder. Nevertheless, Apple has now eliminated this option for users in the UK due to a deadlock with the government. As reported by *The Washington Post*, UK officials had sought unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud information, leading to Apple’s action.
### **Apple Declines to Build a Backdoor**
Instead of acquiescing to the request, Apple opted to completely remove the feature. “We have never constructed a backdoor or master key for any of our products or services, and we never will,” Apple informed *Bloomberg*, which initially broke the story.
By taking this action, Apple is demonstrating its unwillingness to sacrifice user privacy for governmental oversight. The company reiterated its dedication to delivering the highest security standards for users’ personal information and expressed optimism about potentially reinstating the feature in the UK down the line.
### **Privacy Advocates Applaud Apple’s Choice**
Apple’s decision has received applause from privacy and free speech advocates, who contend that meeting the UK’s demand would establish a perilous precedent for governments attempting to access personal data. Signal President Meredith Whittaker remarked to *Reuters*, “Encryption is not a luxury – it is a fundamental human right vital to a free society that also forms the foundation of the global economy.”
### **Worries About User Privacy**
Despite the backing from privacy advocates, some users express anxiety over the abrupt removal of the feature, which increases their data’s vulnerability. Many are pondering if this constitutes a breach of contract, considering Apple’s long-standing emphasis on privacy as a fundamental tenet of its products and services.
### **Apple’s Track Record in Protecting User Privacy**
Apple has a history of resisting government demands for user data. The company previously declined to unlock iPhones belonging to suspected mass shooters in **2016** and **2020**, citing privacy issues.
Advanced Data Protection, launched in **2022**, was an optional security enhancement that fortified Apple’s existing cloud protections. While iMessage, passwords, and health data maintain end-to-end encryption by default, iCloud backups in the UK will no longer enjoy the same degree of protection.
Apple informed *Engadget* that users will have a “grace period” to adapt to these changes. Mashable has reached out to Apple for further information and will update this report as new details emerge.