ICloud: Difference between revisions - Consumer_Action

Line 1:

[[wikipedia:ICloud|'''iCloud''']] is a ~~suite of~~ Apple services ~~that run over the internet~~, including ~~popular services like~~ iCloud Photos, backups and Find My.

[[wikipedia:ICloud|'''iCloud''']] is a cloud storage and cloud computing service provided by [[Apple]]. It offers various internet-based services, including iCloud Photos, device backups, and the Find My network.

== Incidents ==

=== ~~Nude~~ Photo Leaks ===

=== 2014 Celebrity Photo Leaks ===

In August 2014, iCloud ~~passwords were brute forced~~, ~~enabling many~~ celebrities ~~to have their nudes leaked~~<ref>~~https~~:~~//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/~~2014_celebrity_nude_photo_leak</ref>. Apple ~~downplayed the event by denying any~~ iCloud ~~breach~~ occurred<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/2/6098107/apple-denies-icloud-breach-celebrity-nude-photo-hack</ref>, ~~but the root cause was still~~ unaddressed by the ~~next~~ year<ref>https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/icloud-accounts-risk-brute-force-attack-hacker-exploits-painfully-obvious-password-flaw-1481623</ref>.

In August 2014, a series of brute-force attacks targeted iCloud accounts, leading to the unauthorized access and release of private photographs belonging to multiple celebrities.<ref>[[wikipedia:2014_celebrity_nude_photo_leak|2014 celebrity nude photo leak]]</ref> Apple denied that a breach of iCloud itself had occurred, attributing the incident to weak user passwords and phishing attacks.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/2/6098107/apple-denies-icloud-breach-celebrity-nude-photo-hack</ref> However, vulnerabilities allowing brute-force attacks remained unaddressed the following year, raising concerns over iCloud’s security measures.<ref>https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/icloud-accounts-risk-brute-force-attack-hacker-exploits-painfully-obvious-password-flaw-1481623</ref>

=== Hosting ~~Data~~ in ~~Chinese Servers~~ ===

=== Data Hosting in China ===

In 2018, Apple ~~moved~~ Chinese ~~users'~~ data to ~~be hosted~~ in Chinese ~~servers, a move said to grant the Chinese government access to"emails, photos, documents, contacts and locations" of Chinese users~~<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref>~~. While the data remains encrypted~~, the encryption keys were also ~~moved to Chinese servers~~<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref>. Apple ~~claims~~ this only ~~affects Chinese citizens living~~ in mainland China, ~~but provides no insight on~~ how ~~this distinction is made, or clarity on whether tourists visiting China will have their data uploaded to the Chinese servers~~<ref>https://support.apple.com/en-us/111754</ref>.

In 2018, Apple transitioned Chinese users’ iCloud data to local servers in compliance with Chinese data laws.<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref> The move raised concerns regarding government surveillance, as the encryption keys for the data were also stored within China.<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref> Apple stated that this change only affected users residing in mainland China; however, it did not specify how it distinguishes between residents and visitors.<ref>https://support.apple.com/en-us/111754</ref>

=== ~~Disabling~~ End to End Encryption in the UK ===

=== End-to-End Encryption Restrictions in the United Kingdom ===

In February 2025, Apple disabled Advanced Data Protection for UK users ~~following~~ a government ~~request~~ to ~~access~~ encrypted data<ref>https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-apples-disabling-of-icloud-encryption-in-the-uk-is-bad-news-for-everyone/</ref>.

In February 2025, Apple disabled Advanced Data Protection (also known as ADP), its end-to-end encryption feature for iCloud, for users in the [[United Kingdom]]. The decision followed a request from the UK government, which sought access to encrypted user data.<ref>https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-apples-disabling-of-icloud-encryption-in-the-uk-is-bad-news-for-everyone/</ref>

== References ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[wikipedia:ICloud|'''iCloud''']] is a suite of Apple services that run over the internet, including popular services like iCloud Photos, backups and Find My.
+[[wikipedia:ICloud|'''iCloud''']] is a cloud storage and cloud computing service provided by [[Apple]]. It offers various internet-based services, including iCloud Photos, device backups, and the Find My network.
 == Incidents ==
-=== Nude Photo Leaks ===
+=== 2014 Celebrity Photo Leaks ===
-In August 2014, iCloud passwords were brute forced, enabling many celebrities to have their nudes leaked<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_celebrity_nude_photo_leak</ref>. Apple downplayed the event by denying any iCloud breach occurred<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/2/6098107/apple-denies-icloud-breach-celebrity-nude-photo-hack</ref>, but the root cause was still unaddressed by the next year<ref>https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/icloud-accounts-risk-brute-force-attack-hacker-exploits-painfully-obvious-password-flaw-1481623</ref>.
+In August 2014, a series of brute-force attacks targeted iCloud accounts, leading to the unauthorized access and release of private photographs belonging to multiple celebrities.<ref>[[wikipedia:2014_celebrity_nude_photo_leak|2014 celebrity nude photo leak]]</ref> Apple denied that a breach of iCloud itself had occurred, attributing the incident to weak user passwords and phishing attacks.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/2/6098107/apple-denies-icloud-breach-celebrity-nude-photo-hack</ref> However, vulnerabilities allowing brute-force attacks remained unaddressed the following year, raising concerns over iCloud’s security measures.<ref>https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/icloud-accounts-risk-brute-force-attack-hacker-exploits-painfully-obvious-password-flaw-1481623</ref>
-=== Hosting Data in Chinese Servers ===
+=== Data Hosting in China ===
-In 2018, Apple moved Chinese users' data to be hosted in Chinese servers, a move said to grant the Chinese government access to"emails, photos, documents, contacts and locations" of Chinese users<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref>. While the data remains encrypted, the encryption keys were also moved to Chinese servers<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref>. Apple claims this only affects Chinese citizens living in mainland China, but provides no insight on how this distinction is made, or clarity on whether tourists visiting China will have their data uploaded to the Chinese servers<ref>https://support.apple.com/en-us/111754</ref>.
+In 2018, Apple transitioned Chinese users’ iCloud data to local servers in compliance with Chinese data laws.<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref> The move raised concerns regarding government surveillance, as the encryption keys for the data were also stored within China.<ref>https://thehackernews.com/2021/05/how-apple-gave-chinese-government.html</ref> Apple stated that this change only affected users residing in mainland China; however, it did not specify how it distinguishes between residents and visitors.<ref>https://support.apple.com/en-us/111754</ref>
-=== Disabling End to End Encryption in the UK ===
+=== End-to-End Encryption Restrictions in the United Kingdom ===
-In February 2025, Apple disabled Advanced Data Protection for UK users following a government request to access encrypted data<ref>https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-apples-disabling-of-icloud-encryption-in-the-uk-is-bad-news-for-everyone/</ref>.
+In February 2025, Apple disabled Advanced Data Protection (also known as ADP), its end-to-end encryption feature for iCloud, for users in the [[United Kingdom]]. The decision followed a request from the UK government, which sought access to encrypted user data.<ref>https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-apples-disabling-of-icloud-encryption-in-the-uk-is-bad-news-for-everyone/</ref>
 == References ==