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Apple says it will remove services such as FaceTime and iMessage from the UK rather than weaken security if new proposals are made law and acted upon. (www.bbc.com)
submitted 3 years ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 68 points 3 years ago (17 children)

Don't you know anything, Brits? Apple only strips security features for the Chinese government, you fools!

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  • [–] 23 points 3 years ago (12 children)

    Haha yeah too right. UK government isn't authoritarian enough for apple to listen to

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  • [–] 16 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    I mean, they didn't cave to Russia either. Apple just has principles until there's enough cash on the table. Then they claim to "always abide by local laws" wherever they operate.

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  • [–] 15 points 3 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (4 children)

    it has more to do with where their factories are located. Hard to negotiate with the people who control the very land and people you utilize to build your hardware

    Not saying that justifies it, just think we should be accurate with our outrage

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago

    They could have factories in China and not sell phones there. There are also other places to build factories. They just might have to trim back their 42% profit margin. It's still a willingness to abandon principles for a price, isn't it?

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  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago

    Yeah I agree that the CCP have more leverage due to the factories, aa well as the larger user base.

    Just like to point out apple aren't some altruistic organisation, they are a corporation out to make money, and that the CCP suck.

    Also, I profoundly disagree with the legislation this thread was originally about.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 years ago

    Take it from me, the British state is just too paralysed by corporate capture and broke to offer any pushback against corporations. They can't even afford to run a properly equipped and staffed police state, let alone enforce any legal proclamations they make against Apple.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    It's this publicly known, or just assumed because China blocks everything they can't read?

    I assume that Apple gives the Chinese government access somehow, but I've never read details.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (2 children)

    Apple proactively aids in censorship and stores all customer data, including encryption keys, on servers controlled by the Chinese government. They've also excluded security features from China and crippled existing features to aid government repression.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Thanks for the links. Unfortunately, that NYT article does not make a single mention of iMessage or end-to-end encryption.

    Last I checked, iMessage still works in China. I find it implausible that China would allow this without access. If there's a mechanism for that, I'd like to know what it is and how far it extends. The fact that Apple doesn't admit that there's a difference in iMessage's security in China makes me wonder whether it is compromised globally.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago

    I don't think there's any evidence of a global compromise but I think you're right that China wouldn't allow access if it didn't ultimately control it.

    I couldn't find anything specific about iMessage but the keys are backed up to iCloud -- and we know that's compromised. I can't imagine them leaving users the option to just not back up to iCloud to avoid surveillance, but I haven't seen any specifics. Best to assume that under no circumstances do you ever have privacy from the gov't in China or even when messaging someone in China.

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