Apple Opposes Britain's New Online Surveillance Bill

[Fanghawk]

Apple Opposes Britain's New Online Surveillance Bill

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1023/1023149.jpgApple is one of the latest critics of Britain's Investigatory Powers Bill, stating it weakens online security for law-abiding customers.

It wasn't so long ago <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/133892-Facebook-Nearby-Friends-Lets-People-Track-Your-Precise-Location>that we feared private technology companies weren't doing enough to keep private data secure. But lately, more and more tech companies are actually criticizing world governments <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/142894-Facebook-Reveals-Notification-For-Being-Targeted-By-State-Sponsered-Actors-Like-NSA>for the exact same thing. The latest example is none other than iPhone and iPad manufacturer Apple, who openly criticized a bill expanding online surveillance options for British intelligence agencies.

The proposed law is the Investigatory Powers Bill, which has been a topic of some debate since it was released last month. This bill gives intelligence agencies the ability to view browsing histories, intercept communications, and take remote control of computers and smartphones to access data. While intended to track criminal activity, critics believe the bill grants spies far more authority to collect private data than any other Western nation. Yes, including the United States.

So where does Apple fit in here? In a response to a British parliamentary committee, Apple claims the bill would weaken its encryption, encourage interference with Apple products, and force non-UK tech companies to break their home laws. It's also concerned this bill will spark similar legislation in other Western countries. Most importantly, Apple fears any system used to access private data could be accessed by criminals as well.

"We believe it is wrong to weaken security for hundreds of millions of law-abiding customers so that it will also be weaker for the very few who pose a threat," Apple said in a statement. "A key left under the doormat would not just be there for the good guys. The bad guys would find it too."

To its credit, Apple isn't alone here. Microsoft has also spoken out against Britain's bill, preferring the international community come up with shared solutions. "The legislation must avoid conflicts with the laws of other nations and contribute to a system where likeminded governments work together, not in competition, to keep people more secure," a Microsoft spokeswoman.

The British government claims this bill would not disrupt encryption measures if passed, or put anyone's personal security at risk.

Source: The Globe and Mail

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[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

We can't really believe that this is true. As we discovered recently that even though Facebook was publicly against CISA, they were secretly lobbying for CISA. Who's to say that Apple with their history of being even more evil isn't doing shady things behind the curtain?

 

[BloodRed Pixel]

the ONLY good things that ever have come from "The Island" have been music and fashion and a few pieces of literature - and Monty Python (before anybody complains... )

Germany handles a lot of refugees from the eastern countries, I guess it can handle few more from Britain.
I really don't know if I should feel sad for the Scotch, they had the change to break from this frakking state but they wasted it.
#AnarchyInTheUK

 

[Albino Boo]

Wow its almost like there has been a record number arrests for terrorism offences in the UK and in counrty only 22 miles away from where 134 people were killed by terrorists using electronic devices to organise their mass murder. I wonder why Apple et al all dont criticise China and Russia that genuinely and systematically engage in mass electronic surveillance of their own population. Its not like those countries would retaliate by banning their companies from doing business and cost them money.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Yeah, if you could just also condemn our truly messed up relationship to Saudi Arabia and the signed agreements that we need to file seperate FOI acts just to even see, that would be great. Also the cosy snuggling with the Murdoch empire and our right-wing GIP, the backhand dismantling of the NHS to private companies, the cutting support to the vulnerable and disabled, the financial throttling of our infrastructure, the illogical bombing of other countries and politician's scrapping of corporate tax enforcing...the list goes on...

 

[Space Jawa]

The British government claims this bill would not disrupt encryption measures if passed, or put anyone's personal security at risk.

And because the government said it, obviously it must be true.

After all, everybody knows the the only place as trustworthy as the internet to get genuine factual information from is the government.

[/sarcasm]

 

[The Enquirer]

I'll at least give the British government credit for calling it what it is, a bill that gives them surveillance power over people, not calling it some BS like the patriot act to make it sound any better than it actually is.

 

[gigastar]

I really don't know if I should feel sad for the Scots, they had the change to break from this frakking state but they wasted it.

In my opinion if Salmon spent more time devising a solid plan on how a free Scotland could manage on its own then the vote would have gone through.

But no, he spent his time boiling the piss of the general public and establishing his party for UK politics. Id like to see how the SNP weathers the next election when all theyve amounted to so far is a more obnoxious version of Labour.

 

[NLS]

We can't really believe that this is true. As we discovered recently that even though Facebook was publicly against CISA, they were secretly lobbying for CISA. Who's to say that Apple with their history of being even more evil isn't doing shady things behind the curtain?

What "evil" and shady things would Apple be up to though? General evilness?
I'd say Apple is one of the more consumer-trustworthy tech giants. Their revenue model is simple: Charge big money for products that their customers feel committed to rebuying when the time is right. They don't give things away for "free".
Now compare that to Google, Facebook and Microsoft who partially or fully give you "free" products and services in exchange for personal data, targeted advertising etc.

Apple doesn't do targeted advertising, they have an anonymous in-app advertising platform that developers may use in free apps.
They're also opposed to sending personal information to their own secure servers. Which is why Siri isn't as feature rich as it could have been.
Then there's the default device encryption (which Apple doesn't have a key to) in addition to the end-to-end encryption of iMessage (same again, no key).

And finally, they understand that after the Snowden leaks, good security and privacy is an actual selling point, not just for the consumer market but also the enterprise market.
These are features and selling points they wish to keep in the best interest of their customers, and as such they are obviously protesting any surveillance attempts from government agencies.

 

[Correal]

I really don't know if I should feel sad for the Scots, they had the change to break from this frakking state but they wasted it.

In my opinion if Salmon spent more time devising a solid plan on how a free Scotland could manage on its own then the vote would have gone through.

But no, he spent his time boiling the piss of the general public and establishing his party for UK politics. Id like to see how the SNP weathers the next election when all theyve amounted to so far is a more obnoxious version of Labour.

More like every time you looked at any of the media it was just doom and gloom if we dared to go alone. Not a lot of people actually go out of their way to find the real info but rely on old media ways for it.

 

[Karadalis]

We can't really believe that this is true. As we discovered recently that even though Facebook was publicly against CISA, they were secretly lobbying for CISA. Who's to say that Apple with their history of being even more evil isn't doing shady things behind the curtain?

What "evil" and shady things would Apple be up to though? General evilness?
I'd say Apple is one of the more consumer-trustworthy tech giants. Their revenue model is simple: Charge big money for products that their customers feel committed to rebuying when the time is right. They don't give things away for "free".
Now compare that to Google, Facebook and Microsoft who partially or fully give you "free" products and services in exchange for personal data, targeted advertising etc.

Apple doesn't do targeted advertising, they have an anonymous in-app advertising platform that developers may use in free apps.
They're also opposed to sending personal information to their own secure servers. Which is why Siri isn't as feature rich as it could have been.
Then there's the default device encryption (which Apple doesn't have a key to) in addition to the end-to-end encryption of iMessage (same again, no key).

And finally, they understand that after the Snowden leaks, good security and privacy is an actual selling point, not just for the consumer market but also the enterprise market.
These are features and selling points they wish to keep in the best interest of their customers, and as such they are obviously protesting any surveillance attempts from government agencies.

How about we start with slave labour?

Or simply stealing designs and ideas from the competition, giving it the apple look, then have steve jobs the worlds greatest "hack visionary" present it as a brand new idea from apple that will surely change the world so the braindead sheeple can buy their new overprized toys build by slave labour chinese factory workers? (ofcourse apple "changed" their ways after it was found under what inhuman circumstances their products get build.. but not by much. I mean it only took a couple of suicides from said factory workers for apple to even bother)

Apple is just as "evil" and money grubbing as any other bigmonney corporation nowaday who dont give an actual fuck about customer rights. Dont even think for a moment that they protest this bill because they are worried about consumer rights. If they where they would have oposed the introduction of CISA more rigidly... wich btw was just recently brought through by attaching the bill to the completly unrelated latest budget bill. Even thought CISA is pretty much against the will of the populace and said populace has heftly spoken out against it on several occasions.

Their reasons for opposing this bill are only in self interest. Building backdoors for goverments into their products and sending over tons of user data with no monetary return is a huge hassle and loss of revenue for no netgain. You think apple thinks twice about selling your user data to third companies for a quick buck?

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Also, Apple said that they don't have encryption keys, but when China asked for the encryption keys, suddenly Apple delivered. So yeah, they lied about that too.