UK renews Apple iCloud backdoor push, threatening crypto wallet security

The UK government is pressuring Apple to create a backdoor into its encrypted iCloud backup services, specifically targeting UK-based accounts. This change raises concerns among cybersecurity and crypto advocates, as many mobile wallets store encrypted backups in iCloud, exposing users to potential attacks. Critics argue that allowing access to these backups, even if encrypted, could facilitate brute-force attacks, compromising security. The Electronic Frontier Foundation decries this as an overreach that increases the risk of hacking and fraud for UK users. Previous demands from the UK government sought broader capabilities for accessing encrypted material, issued under a Technical Capability Notice, which Apple previously rejected. Although there was an indication that the UK had withdrawn a controversial request impacting Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, the feature remains unavailable in the UK. This situation reflects ongoing tensions between government surveillance needs and user privacy rights in the evolving digital landscape.

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