Vitalik Buterin’s Stance on Apple’s Data Access Issue

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum and a strong advocate for decentralization, has spoken out against the UK government’s request for Apple to provide backdoor access to user data.

Recently, Apple disabled its data security tools for UK customers following the UK’s demand for user data from the iPhone manufacturer. This initiative allows both Apple and the government access to data that was previously private for Apple’s users in the UK.

In Apple’s defense, they argue that sensitive communications, such as texts and phone calls, will still be secured with end-to-end encryption.

Unsurprisingly, UK iPhone users are expressing their dissatisfaction with this situation. Tom Harwood, a British journalist and television host, voiced his concerns on social media, highlighting that, “No UK customer data stored on iCloud will be encrypted, making it all accessible by Apple, the Government, and – frankly – the most horrific hackers you can possibly imagine. Imagine the blackmail, extortion, and identity theft the government is bringing on its own citizens.”

Apple’s Compliance with UK Government Demands

In late 2022, Apple launched the Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature to ensure end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups, allowing only users to access their data through their passwords.

However, the UK government, citing the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, issued a confidential order for Apple to eliminate the ADP feature for UK customers. Without this encryption, the UK government could request access to previously encrypted user data from Apple.

This isn’t the first time Apple has faced tensions with law enforcement over security measures. In 2016, the company stood its ground and refused to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter.

By choosing to remove the ADP feature for users in the UK, Apple has compromised its encryption standards, exposing UK users’ iCloud data to potential unauthorized access by the government and malicious actors. While Apple expresses disappointment over this decision, it insists that some categories of data, like iCloud Keychain passwords, health information, and communications on iMessage and FaceTime, will remain encrypted.

Vitalik Buterin Weighs In

In light of the UK’s demands and Apple’s compliance, Buterin shared his disapproval on X (formerly Twitter). He urged security agencies like the NSA and the GCHQ to strengthen citizens’ digital security.

“Glad to see this backdoor push getting a much-deserved smackdown,” Vitalik tweeted in response to a comment from Rt. Hon Ben Wallace, a former UK Secretary of State for Defense. He emphasized the dangers of centralized data collection points, which are vulnerable to access by various adversaries, referencing the Louisiana drivers’ license cyber attack as a case in point.