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FBI ‘Deeply Concerned’ After Apple Says Nearly All iCloud Data Now Has End-to-End Encryption
Related: Apple, Apple iOS, Apple iPhone and iPad, encryption, follow the money, iOS, security, The Epoch Times
It sounds good...
The Epoch Times: FBI ‘Deeply Concerned’ After Apple Says Nearly All iCloud Data Now Has End-to-End Encryption
2022-12-08
Apple on Dec. 7 announced a string of new security features, including full end-to-end encryption for nearly all the data its users store in its global iCloud storage system, prompting concern from the FBI.
In an overview of the new feature posted to the Apple website, the California-headquartered tech giant said its “Advanced Data Protection” optional setting will provide its users with the “highest level of cloud data security” and keep user data safe even in the event of a data breach in the cloud.
“If you choose to enable Advanced Data Protection, your trusted devices retain sole access to the encryption keys for the majority of your iCloud data, thereby protecting it using end-to-end encryption. Additional data protected includes iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more,” Apple said.
End-to-end encryption means that not even Apple can access the data, according to the company.
“If you lose access to your account, only you can recover this data, using your device passcode or password, recovery contact, or recovery key,” the company said.
The new feature will be available on iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS 13.1 for users in the United States by the end of the year, before rolling out to the rest of the world in early 2023, according to Apple.
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MPG: presumably “nearly all” excludes only a small billion or so Chinese citizens?
I’m going to wait to see what security researchers tell us, rather than swallow Apple marketing PR claims on encryption. If security researchers a year from now sign on to the robustness and truthfulness of the claims, finding no backdoors or suspicious compromises to the design, then I’m all-in on kudos to Apple.
BTW, how exactly do shared private keys move between devices? And how can one trust the operating system to not transmit private keys through a backchannel?
Given Apple’s track record, which includes oppressive and exploitive labor practices to build its iPhones (plus harsh factory lockdowns of such workers), and helping the CCP suppress its citizens in recent protests (by crippling a phone feature), allow me to be a little skeptical as to Apple’s committment to human rights, let alone security.
Apple has a short fuse when it comes to wokeness, firing a 25 year veteran for humor. Exploitive labor practices along with courteous and supportive relations with a country that harvests human organs from live prisoners... meanwhile zero tolerance here in the USA for anything the woketards are offended by. It’s an gruesome example of follow the money—human rights are last in line. Maybe this is why Apple is burnishing its image?
It sounds great, but is it possible that the FBI’s “concern” was in fact organized and planned as a propaganda psyops campaign in tight coordination with a less than honest Apple? Just asking. Because a press release is not exactly evidence or proof.
Oh, and why did it take Tim Cook, champion of freedom and privacy, three days to repudiate the Elon Musk appstore warning, when Cook could have fixed it instantly with a single tweet? The answer is obvious. Because as CEO, you are incompetent if it takes you 3 days to correct a simple accusation of national import. And Cook is not incompetent. Accordingly, Cook has no credibility with me when it comes to freedom, human rights, etc.
Apple Restricted AirDrop Access Ahead of Chinese Protests
In the weeks leading up to the protests against the Chinese regime’s harsh COVID-19 policies, Apple had restricted access to the popular file-sharing tool AirDrop.
On Nov. 9, Apple published a new version of its mobile operating system to users everywhere: iOS 16.1.1. The tech firm noted that the “update includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” But Chinese readers of 9to5Mac noticed an interesting change in the update that applies only to iPhones sold in mainland China.
Apple ‘Serving as Vassal for CCP’ Amid Anti-Authoritarian Protests, DeSantis Says
DeSantis appears to have taken note of the suspicious timing of Apple’s Nov. 9 publication of a new version of its mobile operating system under the rubric of iOS 16.1.1. The update incorporated a change that affected only China-based users of the 9to5Mac, providing these users with just a 10-minute window in which to receive messages from others, where formerly a setting was available that allowed messages to come in from anybody for an indefinite amount of time. The imposition of this rule has obviously blunted protestors’ ability to coordinate and share highly time-sensitive information with one another about their own locations and activities, as well as those of security forces rounding up protesters.
Apple’s China Censorship Sneaks Into Hong Kong and Taiwan: Report
Apple’s list of censored words is sneaking into their services offered in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. The revelation comes from a recent report that shows the tech giant’s tendency to toe the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) line is now becoming standard in regions where the regime wishes to assert its control.
“Apple widely censors political content in mainland China, including broad references to Chinese leadership, China’s political system, names of dissidents, independent news organizations, and general terms relating to democracy and human rights,” said CitizenLab in a report issued on Aug. 18.
Apple offers services to engrave text, numbers, and emojis on iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and other products.... But in mainland China, over 40 percent of the keywords refused in engraving services are politically motivated, such as the Chinese characters for “freedom of the press.”... The Chinese names of The Epoch Times and Voice of America are among the censored contexts.
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You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours:
China Calls on Veterans and CCP Members to Help an Apple iPhone Factory
Anon writes:
Funny, that most people, when it comes to their secrets and private data, do not even trust their spouse but do so with tech companies even with ones who’s business model is based on data
So, I do trust no one.
Solution I found for me: encrypt FIRST on device then send it over to a storage space in someone’s cloud.
I use Boxcryptor. This tool is just great, works with almost all cloud drives and even offers a secret, secure, encrypted file share option.
I the paid version, it offers File Name Encryption (wich I use as a standard), so when you open your files in e.g. iCloud, everyone would just see a bunch of “Chinese” lettered, encrypted folders and files
You can also have a group functionalityhttps://www.boxcryptor.com/en/
So, not only the FBI is “concerned” (something that is always a sign for good software), all “friends with hats” worldwide do just see nothing hehe.
https://therecord.media/fbi-document-shows-what-data-can-be-obtained-from-encrypted-messaging-apps/
I HIGHLY recommend Boxcryptor in these times
...and...
Dropbox purchased Boxcryptor So, a company with Condoleeza Rice in their Board and the Amercin Information Act on its back took over.
Damn.Backdoors are then now mandatory oh my, I have to find something else.
https://www.boxcryptor.com/en/blog/post/new-chapter-with-dropbox/
Boxcryptor Shuts Down – Here is Your Cloud Encryption Alternative (cryptomator.org)
MPG: trusting no one is a good operating principle, unless you find the rare friend you can trust with your life (though the one friend like that I had passed last April, in body at least).
I was engineering manager at Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and wrote the encrypting disk driver for Macs. So I am quite familiar with encryption, social engineering, etc. And... while encryption is a great tool, most of what I’d prefer to keep private I cannot (phone, email, movement patterns, purchases, eg my life and how I run it).
