Apple Drops Data Protection Tool In UK

Tech giant Apple is removing its highest-level data security tool from UK customers. The iPhone maker is making this move after the government reportedly demanded that the company provide backdoor access for any data those users have stored in the cloud.

According to Apple, the Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encryption feature is no longer available for new users in the UK, and existing users' access will be disabled at a later date. Notably, the ADP service is opt-in as users have to sign up to get the security it provides. With Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP), only account holders can view items such as documents or images they have stored online through a process known as end-to-end encryption. However, the UK government asked for the right to see the data earlier this month, reported BBC.

In a statement, without referring to the government demand, Apple said it was "gravely disappointed" that the feature would no longer be available to customers in the United Kingdom. "Apple has never created a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services. We have also never allowed any government direct access to Apple servers. And we never will," said the company.