Apple's New Encryption Effects Could Stretch Across Tech
Apple added Advanced Data Protection in its latest iOS update. It can mean big privacy changes -- if users turn it on.
- Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
Apple is giving ultimate encryption power to its users by adding end-to-end encryption as an option to shield data on iCloud from both cybercriminals and law enforcement. What you save on your iCloud can truly be for your eyes only -- and it comes with its own set of complications.
This extra layer of security has the FBI "deeply concerned," as the agency told the Washington Post. And yet, privacy advocates, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, are thrilled. The opt-in feature -- which launched in the latest update to iOS -- puts more responsibility on users to not get locked out of their accounts and have backup keys if they forget their password.
Apple, a company that makes security a selling point, is setting a new standard for privacy. And as explained in the video embedded here, it also means other tech companies will very likely follow suit to compete.