Apple’s Encryption Changes and User Impact

Silicon Scoop · April 2, 2025

Apple’s Encryption Changes and User Impact Apple’s Encryption Changes Impact on UK and Non-UK Users Apple’s recent move, prompted by a UK government order, involves disabling the Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature for new UK users, affecting end-to-end encryption for specific iCloud data like backups and photos. For UK users, this means their iCloud data, […]

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Apple’s Encryption Changes and User Impact

Apple’s Encryption Changes Impact on UK and Non-UK Users

Apple’s recent move, prompted by a UK government order, involves disabling the Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature for new UK users, affecting end-to-end encryption for specific iCloud data like backups and photos. For UK users, this means their iCloud data, including iMessage backups if enabled, may no longer be end-to-end encrypted, potentially allowing the UK government access under legal requests. However, iMessage communications remain encrypted, ensuring real-time chats are secure.

For users outside the UK, such as Canadians, their ability to use ADP remains intact, keeping their iCloud data end-to-end encrypted. An unexpected detail is the indirect impact: if a Canadian user messages a UK user, and the UK user’s iMessage backups are not encrypted, the UK government could access those backups, risking the Canadian user’s message history. This highlights a nuanced privacy concern for cross-border communications.

Apple’s Encryption Changes Apple Messages and Standard Messaging

Regarding “Apple messages,” this likely refers to iMessage, which is end-to-end encrypted by default for communications between Apple devices. However, when messaging non-Apple devices, it falls back to SMS, which is not end-to-end encrypted and can be intercepted. The recent change does not affect iMessage encryption, focusing instead on iCloud data security.

Detailed Analysis of Apple’s Encryption Changes and User Impact

Apple’s decision to disable end-to-end encryption for new UK users, effective as of February 21, 2025, stems from a UK government order under the Investigatory Powers Act, aiming to allow security authorities access to encrypted cloud data. This change, reported by sources like Reuters, involves the removal of Advanced Data Protection (ADP), an optional feature introduced in December 2022 that extends end-to-end encryption to various iCloud data types. The following sections provide a comprehensive breakdown of the implications for UK users, non-UK users (with a focus on Canadian users as an example), and clarify the encryption status of Apple messages versus standard messaging services.

Background on Advanced Data Protection and the UK Order

ADP enhances security by requiring end-to-end encryption for data such as iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts, Voice Memos, and Wallet passes, ensuring only the user can decrypt it on their trusted devices (Apple Support). The UK government’s order, reported by The Washington Post, demanded a “blanket capability” to access fully encrypted material for any Apple user worldwide, a move criticized by privacy advocates like Amnesty International for its global privacy implications. Apple, however, chose not to create a global backdoor, instead disabling ADP for new UK users, as stated in TechCrunch.

This decision means new UK users cannot opt into ADP, and existing users will be prompted to disable it, as noted by BBC News. Apple’s statement expressed disappointment, emphasizing their commitment to user security (Bloomberg).

Impact on UK Users of Apple’s Encryption Changes

For UK users, the absence of ADP means their specified iCloud data is no longer end-to-end encrypted. This includes iCloud Backup, which, if Messages in iCloud is enabled, encompasses iMessage history. Without ADP, Apple can access this data if legally compelled, potentially exposing sensitive information like photos, notes, and message backups to the UK government. However, real-time iMessage communications remain end-to-end encrypted, as confirmed by 9to5Mac, ensuring privacy during chats but not for stored backups.

This change has raised concerns among cybersecurity experts, with The Standard noting that UK users are left more vulnerable to data breaches and government surveillance, especially given the rising threat landscape.

Impact on Non-UK Users, Including Canadians

For users outside the UK, such as Canadians, ADP remains available, ensuring their iCloud data, including backups, is end-to-end encrypted. This means Apple cannot access their data, maintaining privacy against government requests through Apple. However, an indirect impact arises when communicating with UK users. If a Canadian user sends messages to a UK user, and the UK user does not have ADP enabled, their iMessage backups (if stored in iCloud) are not end-to-end encrypted. In such cases, the UK government could potentially access these backups, exposing the Canadian user’s message history to the UK authorities, as highlighted by BleepingComputer.

This scenario is particularly relevant given iMessage’s inclusion in iCloud Backup, as detailed in Apple’s support documentation (Apple Support). For example, if a Canadian user frequently messages a UK contact, and that contact’s backups are accessible, the Canadian user’s privacy could be compromised indirectly, though their own data remains secure if ADP is enabled.

Apple Messages and Standard Messaging

Apple’s proprietary messaging service, which is end-to-end encrypted by default for communications between Apple devices, as noted by Medium. This encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can decrypt the messages, with Apple unable to access them. However, when an iPhone user messages a non-Apple device, the communication falls back to SMS or MMS, which are not end-to-end encrypted and can be intercepted by carriers or authorities, as explained in 9to5Mac.

The recent change in the UK does not affect iMessage encryption, focusing solely on ADP for iCloud data. Therefore, iMessage remains secure for all users, but the distinction between iMessage and SMS is crucial: users should be aware that cross-platform messaging lacks the same encryption level.

Controversy and Broader Implications

This situation has sparked significant controversy, with privacy advocates like the Electronic Frontier Foundation warning that weakening encryption sets a dangerous precedent, potentially encouraging other governments to demand similar access. Apple’s refusal to create a global backdoor, as reported by Ars Technica, underscores the tension between national security and user privacy, with implications for global tech policy.

Comparative Table: Encryption Status Before and After ADP Removal in UK

Data Type	Before ADP Removal (UK Users)	After ADP Removal (UK Users)	Non-UK Users (e.g., Canada)
iMessage (Real-Time)	End-to-End Encrypted	End-to-End Encrypted	End-to-End Encrypted
iMessage Backups (iCloud)	End-to-End Encrypted (with ADP)	Not End-to-End Encrypted	End-to-End Encrypted (with ADP)
Photos (iCloud)	End-to-End Encrypted (with ADP)	Not End-to-End Encrypted	End-to-End Encrypted (with ADP)
Notes (iCloud)	End-to-End Encrypted (with ADP)	Not End-to-End Encrypted	End-to-End Encrypted (with ADP)

This table illustrates the shift for UK users, highlighting the loss of encryption for iCloud data, while non-UK users maintain their protections.

Conclusion to Apple’s Encryption Changes

In summary, Apple’s disabling of ADP in the UK impacts UK users by removing end-to-end encryption for specific iCloud data, including iMessage backups, but leaves iMessage communications secure. For Canadian and other non-UK users, their data remains protected, though indirect risks arise when communicating with UK users whose backups may be accessible. This change underscores the ongoing debate between privacy and security, with potential long-term implications for global digital rights.

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Episode transcript

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Craig: week or a couple of weeks ago when we were talking about uk was forcing apple to turn off encryption. we were specifically talking about messaging and backups. so apple has responded with turning off some of their encryption related to icloud. now you did some work on this, john, what do you think?

Jon: yeah, so originally, and i still kind of think it's a win in the short term because it means that apple refuses to put in a backdoor. that's where i see it as a win because they're not giving in to put in a backdoor. so the other thing is that so for those of you that don't know, if they were to enable that backdoor, then their end to end encryption would have been compromised globally for users. so instead, they disabled their end to end encryption strictly in the uk. so to preserve the end to end encryption without a backdoor globally or without a public backdoor that we know of. right? yes. so, i i see it as a strategic compromise, but what are your thoughts, craig?

Craig: it's a compromise. i don't know if strategic, i guess. you know, we'll have to wait and see what other countries do. you know, to be specific from a canadian point of view, if a canadian user messages a uk user and the uk users imessage backups are not encrypted, then the uk government could access those backups, risking the canadian users message history. this just highlights some nuance privacy concerns for cross border communications. the messaging is encrypted itself, but if the backups aren't encrypted, they're always stored in the icloud and people can get access to those. so if i send pictures and you put those pictures in your photos, those photos are backed up into the cloud and those will be accessible.

Jon: so it's, it does affect the rest of the world. okay. yeah. you're right. didn't even think about it from that perspective. so the the police here could ask the uk police or figure out a way to ask them to get.

Craig: if we send somebody messages, whatever. yeah. communication with this person in the uk. yeah. grab their information and see what's going on. yeah. absolutely. like, and again, i'm these agencies are actually actively looking at me, i mean, not, this is not what i'm worried about. so why, you know, i don't mean me, me, but i mean as an individual or a company, but i guess it affects people and we should just be aware of the weakening of our encryption and our data security with the stuff that happened with telegram and the stuff that's happening with this. you know, it seems like there's an erosion. it's not a huge loss. it's not a victory. it's a slight degradation, and we seem to be getting more and more and more of those to the point of the back doors aren't too far ahead, i think.

Jon: yeah. and if you're doing stuff that law enforcement would want to look at you, then you be using your own encryption and you should be doing pgp or whatever and having your own kind of secure os, whatever. like, you shouldn't be relying on another company to encrypt your stuff. right?

Craig: well, yeah. i mean, i'm a regular citizen, so i'm just, you know

Jon: yeah. exactly.

Craig: if any agency's after me, you know, what i can't remember who said it. they said, show me the man, and i'll show you the crime. yeah. it is. so it doesn't matter if they call that. but, yeah, if you're actually engaged in criminal nefarious activity, you should be covering your tracks the best way you can and being on these devices probably not the best way to go.

Jon: no. yeah, i just brought that up just to give people that contrast. like if you're doing things, sure. if you're just sending whatever sex and stuff like that, who cares? can see your stuff regardless at the end of the day, no matter what, if they really wanted to as far as law enforcement goes. but if you're not doing anything shady, then you have nothing. this doesn't really affect you. it's nothing to be too concerned about except for when it comes to your privacy, one hundred percent.

Craig: yeah. i mean, you know, i hate the argument that if you got nothing to hide, why are you worried? and i sit back and say, well, you know, because everything changes because memes in the uk can be illegal. and if i send somebody a meme picture and they post it on twitter and then they and they go to this person and arrest them for that meme and find out that it came from me. am i in trouble now? oh, yeah. so i just sit back and say, you know, i this kind of stuff is scary because, you know, things change and you don't even think about what's going on. same thing with australia is doing the similar thing now. so you start to worry about, okay, wait a minute, joking around on the internet is okay or not okay if i send somebody a picture that has a funny meme of elon musk or somebody, am i going to get in trouble now? so, yeah, there are some concerns around it, and that's why i say by an overall erosion of these things that our privacy and security become less and less, and we become more concerned, and i think appropriately so.

Jon: let me ask you this. do you think this is the start of a massive countries going after apple to ask apple to do the same thing? or do you think there's only gonna be a couple few countries that might do this? what do you think?

Craig: well, i've been curious to see what they end up using this for. i think that's gonna be the key because they all talk. they're part of the five eyes or what have you. so guess what? canada is too. they can now use whatever the uk system to grab these icloud stuff so can canada and australia and america. yeah. part of the five eyes program or whatever it is. so, it's not exclusively and they can all jump in but it's a question of what? are they going after arms dealers with the photographs or pedophiles or are they going after mean people like, you know, you posted this mean thing, we're coming after you. i think a lot of that depends. if you have some success going after terrorism or that kind of stuff, will, other countries will wanna adopt it.

Jon: yeah. the underlying thing, and i say what we actually do know is we have no clue whether or not there actually is something that is currently available to us or whatever. i know there is some transparency, but again, these companies can pick and choose how much transparency they give on different things like this. so who knows?

Craig: and we want to be clear on a couple of things. when i text you, john, that's not encrypted. you know, when an iphone user messages a non apple device, the communication falls back to sms or mms, which are not end to end encrypted and can be intercepted by carriers and authorities.

Jon: isn't now it is encrypted because they did with the rcs now?

Craig: yeah. i'm not a hundred percent sure that that is

Jon: i don't really give you a deep

Craig: dive. yeah. so because when i do message you, it does say rcs in there now. so i'm not sure if that's truly the case with this latest change.

Jon: yeah. who knows how encrypted it is or what? like it yeah. we don't know. actually i should look into that. i'm curious now. so i'll do that later. but yeah, no, this could be a slippery slope one hundred percent. one fact that again, we don't know if it's true or not, but apple's transparency report show it complies with ninety two percent of uk government data requests suggesting localized concessions prevent global erosion of privacy.

Craig: yeah, behind the scenes, i think a lot of them just comply because, you know, why wouldn't you comply with the law? as long as somebody's given you a court order, it's when they come running around saying, us all your information on all your users. just give it to us. we don't have a court order. we don't have all the legal rights where they're like, yeah. i don't think so. yeah. come back with the proper documentation and we'll have it ready for you. yeah. yeah. because i think they just want to be on the right side of everything, right? because as soon as they find out they're leaking this kind of information inappropriately, it becomes a problem.

Jon: yep, i agree.

Craig: yep. so if you're not sure what's encrypted and what isn't and how this change impacts you, go over to torontostarts dot com and check out the apple's encryption changes and user impact. this is different from our podcast we did a couple of weeks ago. you can just click on the link in the podcast show notes. it'll take you right there. we'd love to hear your feedback. does this affect you? do you think this is a slow erosion to no privacy? is this a good thing? let us know what you think.