Apple suspends UK E2E iCloud
Apple has disabled Advanced Data Protection (end-to-end encryption for most iCloud services) in the U.K. after government demands for access — a live example of privacy vs. compliance tensions for global services reported. The change highlights how regional legal pressure can force backend feature rollbacks or architecture changes.
On Feb 21, 2025 Apple removedtechcrunch.com the option for new U.K. accounts to enable Advanced Data Protection, a change first reported by multiple outlets including TechCrunch and Bloomberg. The U.K. Home Office is reported to have served a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 — a secret order first disclosed by press reporting on Feb 7, 2025 and summarized in legal explainers.fipr.org Apple took the dispute to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which issued a public summary of the case on Apr 7, 2025 and confirmed the fuller judgment would remain private to the parties.investigatorypowerstribunal.org.uk Apple’s support documentation lists the 10 iCloud categories that ADP covered and that will now be served by Standard Data Protection instead — iCloud Backup, iCloud Drive, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts, Voice Memos, Wallet Passes, and Freeform.support.apple.com Apple also confirms 15 iCloud data categories remain end‑to‑end encrypted by default (examples called out include iCloud Keychain, Health, iMessage and FaceTime), and says it will provide guidance while not automatically disabling ADP for users who already turned it on.support.apple.com Privacy groups including Privacy International and Liberty filed a challenge to the TCN regime with the IPT on Mar 13, 2025, arguing TCN secrecy and the scope of the notices risk undermining cross‑border data protections.privacyinternational.org
