UK could secretly block security worldwide, says Apple
William GallagherUK Houses of Parliament
Apple has attacked what it calls the UK's "unprecedented overreach" in proposing that it have the power of veto over all Big Tech security features across the globe.
The UK's House of Lords is due to debate an update to the country's Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016 on January 30, 2024. In a much earlier form in 2015, the IPA was slammed by Apple for how it then proposed breaking encryption.
According to BBC News, Apple is now attacking the latest update proposals. Apple is against the UK having a veto over security updates, and also over how if the country were to exercise that veto, no Big Tech firm could even say that it has.
"We're deeply concerned the proposed amendments to the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) now before Parliament place users' privacy and security at risk," Apple in a statement seen by BBC News. "It's an unprecedented overreach by the government and, if enacted, the UK could attempt to secretly veto new user protections globally preventing us from ever offering them to customers."
Apple's statement follows that of multiple UK civil liberties groups which jointly protest the update. The groups, including Privacy International and Big Brother Watch, said that the UK's plans were for "effectively transforming private companies into arms of the surveillance state and eroding the security of devices and the internet."
Separately, in September 2023, the UK backed down from a nonsensical law after firms including Apple and WhatsApp said they would cease operating in the UK if the government passed a law requiring the breaking of end-to-end encryption.
The issue of Apple and others not being legally allowed to reveal that a government had vetoed a security update is similar to how the US forbade the company from revealing push notification surveillance.
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9 Comments
Our so-called “government” is draconian where it can be (The UN Human Rights Rapporteur has recently castigated the government’s crackdown on the right to protest.) and incredibly both stupid (Boris Johnson asking if you could stop COVID by using a hair-dryer up your nose) and at the same time full of wonderful British “world-beating” designs and plans. His successors have continued the same tradition.
Classic distraction by a government that's screwed up their economy and their relations with global trading partners, while padding the pockets of their already-wealthy supporters and condescending to the rest of the electorate daily.
Apple might need to talk to stock holders to see if they can get backing to tell the UK and EU to take a hike. This could include not selling to the UK or EU. Yes, Apple would take a hit but these governments who want to abuse American products might need to discuss with their citizens the potential for Apple to not provide any products. Who will win? Their citizens or their government?
If China is already doing it to Apple, why not UK?