T-Mobile blames Apple for iCloud Phone Relay block on iPhones

T-Mobile has responded to allegations it was blocking Apple's iCloud Private Relay feature, by claiming it was a settings issue, not a change in policy.

Reports circulated on Monday that some iPhone users on T-Mobile were discovering a message stating that "Private Relay is turned off for your cellular plan," as it didn't support Apple's privacy service. In a response on Tuesday sent to AppleInsider, the carrier attempts to set the record straight, and that it didn't purposefully turn it off for some subscribers.

"Our team identified that in the 15.2 iOS release, some device settings default to the feature being toggled off," the statement reads. "We have shared this with Apple."

The statement concludes that "this is not specific to T-Mobile" and adds that "we have not broadly blocked iCloud Phone Relay."

The social media circulation of the message followed after U.K. carriers including T-Mobile, Vodafone, Telefonica, and others wrote a letter claiming Private Relay undermines "digital sovereignty" and hurts their ability to manage networks. The group believes Private Relay and similar features can cut off "other networks and servers from accessing vital network data and metadata, including those operators in charge of the connectivity."

A number of carriers in Europe also blocked Private Relay for data collection reasons.

6 Comments

lowededwookie 16 Years · 1175 comments

About 2 years ago

A number of carriers in Europe also blocked Private Relay for data collection reasons.

This to me seems like the most likely reason that the big 4 are complaining. The interesting thing is the complainers are UK companies (except Telefonica) and yet the UK is no longer part of the EU.

But to block Private Relay in order to collect data undermines the EU's stance on privacy as the users have no option to opt out of this.

It really does seems like the EU are the most hypocritical cow-towing governing body on the planet.

ionicle 4 Years · 98 comments

There is no more T-mobile in the UK, years ago, T-mobile and Orange merged to form EE, so there is only EE, 3 (Three), Vodafone and O2 (Telefonica) (formally BT Cellnet), T-mobile only apeared in the UK after purchasing one2one, one of the original mobile phone networks

williamlondon 14 Years · 1426 comments

lowededwookie said:

A number of carriers in Europe also blocked Private Relay for data collection reasons.

This to me seems like the most likely reason that the big 4 are complaining. The interesting thing is the complainers are UK companies (except Telefonica) and yet the UK is no longer part of the EU.

But to block Private Relay in order to collect data undermines the EU's stance on privacy as the users have no option to opt out of this.

It really does seems like the EU are the most hypocritical cow-towing governing body on the planet.

Not sure why you've introduced the EU into this discussion as it has nothing whatsoever to do with the EU, other than to opportunistically and gratuitously attack them for some perceived slight?

geekmee 13 Years · 647 comments

“The group believes Private Relay and similar features can cut off "other networks and servers from accessing vital network data and metadata, including those operators in charge of the connectivity."

I am sure this is news to Apple and their legal team.

Ofer 8 Years · 270 comments

lowededwookie said:

A number of carriers in Europe also blocked Private Relay for data collection reasons.

This to me seems like the most likely reason that the big 4 are complaining. The interesting thing is the complainers are UK companies (except Telefonica) and yet the UK is no longer part of the EU.

But to block Private Relay in order to collect data undermines the EU's stance on privacy as the users have no option to opt out of this.

It really does seems like the EU are the most hypocritical cow-towing governing body on the planet.

Since do independent phone companies = “the EU” ?