APPLE Takes A Bite Out Of End-T0-End Encryption (E2EE)
Let’s talk about what Apple does right.
Apple’ iMessage has end-to-end encryption (for more info on E2EE see our previous blog post here for more info) which means, the messages that you send and are sent to you cannot be read by anyone but you, or the person you are sending the message to. However, there is a pretty big caveat that needs to be attached to that. It’s that iMessage E2EE only applies to Apple devices. This means if you send an iMessage to someone who has an Android phone, it won’t be encrypted.
Here’s where it gets dicey even if you are sending messages to other Apple users. The backup of those messages, the ones that get stored in iCloud, are not E2EE.
What does that mean?
It means that Apple can access the backup and access all those messages you have stored in iCloud.
Apple doesn’t hide the fact that it has that capability. The company has stated as such in official press releases, noting that “Apple retains the encryption keys in its U.S. data centers. iCloud content, as it exists in the customer’s account, may be provided in response to a search warrant issued upon a showing of probably cause, or customer consent.”
Additionally, in the recent Apple announcement this is also applicable to photos. Where Apple has the ability to scan your photos while on your phone and you have a potential backdoor access to your data.
So how do you fix it?
The easiest solution is to disable the iCloud backup, but if you don’t want to turn the backup off, or if you want to ensure all your message are E2EE regardless of whether it’s an Apple or an Android device, then you can opt to switch to an E2EE messaging app such as Signal. This will ensure all your messages are E2EE no matter who you send them to.
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