Apple recently unveiled several new privacy-focused features intended at better safeguarding user data stored in iCloud, but although privacy advocates and human rights organizations have praised the move, law enforcement agencies have expressed concerns.
They seem to be worried that criminals from all backgrounds would abuse the privilege rather than being against increased privacy.
The FBI said in an email to the Washington Times that Apple's end-to-end encryption "reduces our capacity to defend the American people from criminal activities ranging from cyber-attacks and crimes against minors to drug trafficking, organized crime, and terrorism."
Sasha O'Connell, a former FBI agent, also commented at the time, telling the New York Times that there are some important considerations. Although it is excellent to see businesses putting security first, there are trade-offs to be aware of, one of which is the effect on law enforcement's ability to access digital evidence.
iMessage Contact Key Verification, Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, and Security Keys for Apple ID are just a few of the new security-focused features that Apple recently unveiled. However, it was Advanced Data Protection for iCloud that really got the FBI's attention. With the new functionality, only reputable devices will be able to decrypt and view the encrypted data that is saved in iCloud.
In other words, neither Apple nor anyone else will be able to read the information that users have stored in iCloud on Apple's servers.
FBI versus Apple
The FBI and Apple have previously run into each other. Approximately six years ago, the FBI seized an iPhone from Syed Farook, one of the two terrorists who attacked the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. Farook was one of the two attackers. The two murdered 14 people and injured 22 others on December 2, 2015.
When the iPhone became locked, there was a big conflict between the FBI and Apple over whether or not the latter had the ability or inclination to unlock the endpoint. Even the US Congress took up the issue, with practically all of the nation's tech firms supporting Apple. When the FBI, with the aid of a third party, was able to unlock the iPhone, everything calmed down. Later, the media revealed that the in question third party is Cellebrite, an Israeli mobile forensics company.
