On February 21, Apple stopped offering its Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK after the government quietly asked for a way to unlock private user data stored in iCloud—not just in the UK, but everywhere. This decision has left some UK Apple users wondering how safe their information is now. Let’s break it down.
What Was Advanced Data Protection?
Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, started in 2022 as Apple’s top security option for iCloud. It’s a setting users can turn on to lock more of their data—like backups, photos, and notes—with a special kind of protection called end-to-end encryption. This means only the user can unlock it on their own devices, and no one else, not even Apple, can peek inside. Without ADP, Apple uses regular encryption for things like email and calendars, where it keeps a spare key and can open the data if a court orders it.
Not many people likely used ADP since Apple never shared numbers. Some might not know about it, while others have older devices that can’t handle it because they need the latest software.
Who’s Impacted by This Change?
This affects two groups in the UK:
- New users: Since February 21, they can’t turn on ADP. They’ll see a message saying it’s no longer available.
- Current ADP users: If you already had it on, you’ll need to switch it off yourself soon to keep using iCloud. Apple can’t do it for you and promises more help later.
If you never used ADP, nothing changes—your data still has Apple’s basic protection, where Apple holds the key.
What’s Still Safe?
Even without ADP, some iCloud features stay super secure by default, like iMessage, FaceTime, passwords, and health info. These use end-to-end encryption no matter what.
Why Did This Happen?
The UK government used a law to secretly demand Apple build a hidden way into encrypted data worldwide. Apple said no, worried it would weaken security for everyone—like leaving a house key out for anyone to find. Instead, they pulled ADP from the UK, hoping to bring it back someday with better safety for users.