Apple’s privacy dispute with the UK government

Apple cannot currently access this end-to-end encrypted data, and indeed the company has built its reputation on offering tighter data security to its customers. Instead of complying with the Home Office request, Apple have opted to switch off the ADP programme for new customers in the UK. Several civil society groups and senior US policymakers have also questioned the UK government’s request and want all court proceedings on this dispute to be open.

The public debate on this issue largely centres on a perceived dichotomy between security and privacy, as if the two are mutually exclusive and as if these are the only two dimensions worth considering. However, this is not so; this discussion needs to be more nuanced.

In this discussion, Ed and Jano shed light on the following questions:

• What is this debate about and what do people misunderstand about it?
• How can data privacy concerns be addressed in the design of hardware, software and services?
• Can a company such as Apple and a major government such as the UK walk the fine line on the privacy of encrypted data?
• What are the key steps companies can take to ensure they build a secure network while retaining the ability to cooperate with law enforcement on tackling serious crime?
• How does this Apple privacy debate affect other companies and how we at CyXcel can help?

[Photo by Zhang Kaiyv on Unsplash]