Advanced Data Protection, the best security option for Apple iCloud is now blocked for UK customers. A real blow to individual privacy and citizens’ rights but there are options for our British friends to keep their files safe.
Advanced Data Protection is Apple’s option to fully encrypt data saved on their iCloud storage. An option notably missing from OneDrive, Dropbox and most other cloud services. ADP means that no-one, not Apple nor any government, can read the cloud files without the customers login (which uses two-factor authentication).
That’s great for users but governments hate options like ADP because it means they can’t access private data without consent. No law or court order can get past encryption controlled by the user.
The UK government has been pressuring Apple to make data available without customers consent. Westminster wants Apple to install a ‘back door’ that would allow the UK government to read users data. Apple is resisting that dangerous move and offering the blocking of Advanced Data Protection as a compromise.
Who is affected?
Only “users in the UK” are affected by this change but Apple isn’t clear about what that specifically means.
It does NOT mean that travelling to the UK will disable Advanced Data Protection on or after arrival.
Most likely “UK users” really means customers who have their Apple Account (formerly Apple ID) based in the UK. More on that below.
What’s happening to Advanced Data Protection?
Advanced Data Protection is not available as an option for UK users from now on.
Users in the UK already with Advanced Data Protection, ON can keep using ADP for the moment.
At some stage, Apple will notify affected customers that they’ll have to disable Advanced Data Protection.
This change only affects ADP and iCloud. Many other types of Apple data are NOT affected including iCloud Keychain, Health, iMessage, Facetime, Apple Card transactions and others.
Switch to a more secure cloud service
There are some cloud services which offer encrypted storage of cloud data. OneDrive and Dropbox are NOT among them.
If ADP isn’t available to you, check out Proton Drive or SpiderOak One which have offered an ‘ADP-like’ encrypted cloud storage for many years. Proton Drive includes support for iPhone and iPad.
Possible workarounds
If “users in the UK” means the Country/Region setting in the Apple Account, which seems likely, then there’s some workarounds available.
These are possible workarounds – we’ve not tested them directly and they have side-effects that might make then unacceptable to you.
Change the Apple Account country/region
Each Apple Account has a Country/Region setting. That’s a choice for each user, not related to their physical location.
A way to keep or get Advanced Data Protection is to change the Country/Region for your Apple Account to a non-UK location.
Before doing that, settle your account credit, subscriptions and other matters – Apple has almost full details. That page doesn’t mention changes in which apps you can use. Each developer can choose which countries can access an app (not Apple) so a change in Country/Region might block an app you have or stop you getting an app in future.
In other words, changing Apple Account location isn’t done lightly – be careful.
Country/Region is setting in your Apple Account Personal Information. It can also be changed on an Apple device.
Get a new Apple Account
Setup a new Apple Account without United Kingdom as it’s Country/Region. Use the new account to save your Advanced Data Protection iCloud data.
Having two Apple Account is a right PITA, switching between the two, remembering what data is stored where, app restrictions and other annoyances.
The better solution is for the UK government to get off their high horse and accept that citizens’ privacy is important. Data encryption is here to stay and genuine ‘bad actors’ will use other ways to keep their information away from prying eyes.
