Apple recently introduced a number of new privacy-focused features aimed at better protecting user data stored in iCloud, but while privacy advocates and human rights groups have praised the move, police have raised concerns.
Apparently, they are not against improving privacy, but instead fear that criminals from all walks of life will abuse this privilege.
In an emailed statement to The Washington Times, the FBI said Apple's end-to-end encryption (opens in a new tab) "hinders our ability to protect the American people from criminal acts ranging from cyberattacks and violence against children to drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism”.
Commitment to safety
"In this age of cybersecurity and 'security by design' requirements, the FBI and law enforcement partners need 'lawful access by design.'"
Meanwhile, former FBI official Sasha O'Connell spoke to The New York Times and said there were some caveats to keep in mind. "It's great to see businesses prioritize security, but we need to keep in mind that there are trade-offs, and one that often goes unaddressed is the impact of reducing law enforcement access to digital evidence." .
Apple recently introduced a number of new security-focused features, including iMessage Power Key Verification, Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, and Apple ID Security Keys, and these are Advanced Data Protection for iCloud that really hit the FBI. The new feature means that data stored in iCloud will have end-to-end encryption, allowing only trusted devices to decrypt and read the data.
In other words, neither Apple nor anyone else will be able to access Apple's servers and see all the data that users have stored in iCloud.
This isn't the first time the FBI has gone head-to-head with Apple. About six years ago, the FBI seized an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, one of the two perpetrators of a terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. On December 2, 2015, the two men murdered 14 people and injured 22 others.
The iPhone was locked, leading to a huge battle between the FBI and Apple, which claimed it had no way or desire to unlock the device. The dispute even made its way to the US Congress, with nearly every tech company in the country siding with Apple. Everything calmed down when the FBI finally managed to unlock the device, with the help of a third party. The media later reported that the third party in question is an Israeli mobile forensics company, Cellebrite.
Via: MacRumors (opens in a new tab)