Apple suggests iMessage and FaceTime could be withdrawn in UK over law change
www.theguardian.com
US tech firm says giving government oversight of security changes could endanger encrypted products
  • Max-P@lemmy.max-p.meEnglish
    281·
    11 months ago

    If they stay in the UK they should make red bubbles whenever one of the participant is in the UK and subject to UK’s laws.

      • iTipTurtles@lemmy.worldEnglish
        167·
        11 months ago

        I don’t really know anyone that uses them. Myself and friends/family just use WhatsApp for everything. Haven’t used FaceTime for many years now

      • jetsetdorito@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        11 months ago

        Whenever I see articles about iMessage/RCS/SMS I see all the comments about how it’s a really American thing and how people in other countries use WhatsApp/others

      • bighi@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        11 months ago

        I was going to ask the same. I didn’t know anyone outside the US used iMessage.

    • thehatfox@lemmy.worldEnglish
      61·
      11 months ago

      Yes, many people in the UK use iMessage. It’s not as popular as WhatsApp, but it is used.

      Facebook Messenger is also popular here, particularly among older people.

  • itsJoelle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    317·
    11 months ago

    Damn, that’s wild. They’ll change out ports, open up the App Store, but this is the hill they die on. Interesting.

    The main draw for me about iMessage, being able to answer my texts on any of my devices, can be done just with Messages by Google on my Pixel, making a Webapp Shortcut of messages.google.com on my iPad, and the same for my Linux machine. (I imagine the privacy of all that ain’t great)

    If someone wants to FaceTime me they can text me a link to the call and I open it on the iPad.

    Like, all the features that make iMessage/Facetime unique can be replicated if you don’t care about tap backs, bubble color, and memoji . Save the encryption, but I imagine most people back that up on iCloud so they can be searched.

    • 312English
      39·
      11 months ago

      It’s because the proposed changes would give the UK government de-facto authority to dictate how security and encryption are implemented.

      …a provision that would give the UK government oversight of security changes to its products, including regular iOS software updates. The Home Office consultation proposes “mandating” operators to notify the home secretary of changes to a service that could have a “negative impact on investigatory powers”.

      It would mean in practice that the UK would dictate how Apple employs encryption around the globe, unless Apple was willing to fork their software and build/maintain a UK-only branch for their products.

      Which still wouldn’t solve the issue because if you interacted with someone over any of those protocols who was in the UK, your messages and data would be accessible by the UK government, regardless of the other party’s location.

      I’m with Apple on this. This isn’t a consumer-focused piece of legislation for repairability/interoperability like some of the newer EU legislation, this is a government trying to ensure they have the technical ability to spy on their citizens and others. It’s the definition of anti-consumer.

        • amanneedsamaid@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          4·
          11 months ago

          The worst part is even if they perfectly implement this, it would stop only the dumbest of criminals. Encryption algorithms are open source, and can just be used as such. You cant stop the criminals from using math, which is why the bill actually achieves nothing.

    • neomis@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      21·
      11 months ago

      Are they going to change to usb-c? My moneys still on them going full wireless instead.