Apple has reportedly stated that it would rather disable iMessage and FaceTime in the United Kingdom than comply with controversial amendments to an existing act that would grant the UK’s government unprecedented privacy-violating powers, according to BBC News.
The act, known as the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), was enacted in 2016 and grants the UK’s Home Office the authority to compel technology companies to disable security features, such as end-to-end encryption, without public disclosure. The proposed amendments would eliminate the requirement of informing the public, making such changes entirely secret.
Apple is taking great issue with the proposal, implying it would remove FaceTime and iMessage altogether from the United Kingdom if the changes are passed. Apple continues to emphasize its stance on not altering security features exclusively for one country, as it could compromise the product’s integrity for all users around the world.
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In response to the proposed changes, Apple has submitted a nine-page document protesting the amendments on three grounds, according to BBC News.
- Apple objects to the mandatory notification of the Home Office about any modifications to product security features before release.
- Apple expresses concern over the requirement for non-UK-based companies to adhere to changes that would have a global impact on their products.
- Apple strongly opposes the immediate action directive if the Home Office requests the disabling or blocking of a feature without any review or possibility for appeals.
In addition, Apple has drawn attention to the fact that certain requested feature changes would naturally require a software update, in direct contrast to the Act’s requirement to make changes without informing the public. In its protest document, Apple says that these proposals “constitute a serious and direct threat to data security and information privacy” with complications that would affect consumers residing outside the UK.
Apple clashes with the UK government
This wouldn’t be the first time that Apple has clashed with the UK over proposed laws that would greatly impede users’ privacy in the country. The company, among other messaging services providers such as Telegram and WhatsApp, has publicly protested the Online Safety Bill.
The controversial bill, which is separate and different from the IPA, would have required messaging platforms to preemptively scan all messages from child abuse material, effectively banning end-to-end encryption. The UK government reportedly plans to alter some sections within that bill, but it’s unlikely to win critics over.
