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NCSC, GCHQ, UK Gov’t expunge advice to “use Apple encryption” for Barristers, Solicitors (etc…) — co-incidental with Apple lawsuit against HMG’s demanding a backdoor in the same (HT @DavidDavisMP @PrivacyMatters @zsk)
This is some really embarrassing timing on the Home Office’s (HO’s) part: a few weeks ago when news first broke of the HO’s demand for a backdoor in Apple ADP, I pointed out to MP David Davis that the HO actually extolled use of ADP by at-risk groups: That screenshot was current to that day.…
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Breaking WhatsApp or Signal encryption: a dangerous political chimera | Le Monde, via Google Translate
During its passage through the Senate, a particularly controversial provision was added to this text defended by senators Jérôme Durain (Socialist Party) and Etienne Blanc (Les Républicains). In its article 8ter, it now plans to oblige platforms, such as WhatsApp or Signal, to take measures to be able to transmit the content of exchanges between…
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Apple takes legal action in UK data privacy row | BBC News
Moar: The BBC understands that the US technology giant has appealed to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent court with the power to investigate claims against the Security Service. It is the latest development in an unprecedented row between one of the world’s biggest tech firms and the UK government over data privacy. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rkpv50x01o
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Apple launches legal challenge to UK ‘back door’ order
So much for all of this process being top secret: Apple is stepping up its fight with the British government over a demand to create a “back door” in its most secure cloud storage systems, by filing a legal complaint that it hopes will overturn the order. https://www.ft.com/content/3d8fe709-f17a-44a6-97ae-f1bbe6d0dccd Via: https://archive.is/2025.03.04-173854/https://www.ft.com/content/3d8fe709-f17a-44a6-97ae-f1bbe6d0dccd
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Apple details improvements to child accounts, App Store age-filtering | Six Colors
This is where age verification should be: at the Device, App-Store or Browser Account level, not a scattergun identity surveillance regime: In a whitepaper posted to Apple’s developer site entitled “Helping Protect Kids Online”, the company details several improvements it’s rolling out in upcoming software updates, including making it easier to set up child accounts, providing…
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: do banking transactions count as “user to user” communication services & social media under the UK & AU Online Safety Acts?
This thread by Leanne O’Donnell is deeply thought provoking and fun: “What’s another way to contact a girl if she’s blocked you on EVERYTHING?” – well, maybe there’s an issue there? https://bsky.app/profile/mslods.bsky.social/post/3li6ti6byuk2n
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Track your MP’s boozing | …God forbid that British MPs should be subject to surveillance
Politico via HeatherB: “MPs will now have to swipe their Parliamentary passes to get into the Parliamentary bars, and their purchases will be logged, which could make them FOI-able.”
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UK watchdog probes TikTok (and Reddit, Imgur) over children’s data | POLITICO
Reading between the lines it looks like the ICO wants to act as the age verification czar rather than staying in its lane & leaving that to Ofcom; I wonder why… but I suspect it’s a lingering hope of one day being giant-killers. The … (ICO) said on Monday the investigation was in response to…
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Dr Jessica Shurson on the (perennial) arguments that “…if only you *knew* how bad CSAM abuse is” — you would be willing to give up secure & private instant messaging
https://x.com/JessicaShurson/status/1894286676387672540 The “come to the NCA and you’ll change your mind” is so patronising. I prosecuted CSAM cases and it was horrific. It doesn’t change my mind any more than it did the FBI’s when they started promoting e2ee after the salt typhoon hack
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Retrospective: The Man Behind Biden’s Sweeping AI Executive Order | POLITICO | End of the techlash in sight?
I deplore what’s happening in the USA, but there’s a side-game I’m watching closely & more neutrally: advocates for the past ~15 years of proactive tech fearmongering are gone from their positions of leverage. This will cause change both good & bad, but I most fear… …but I most fear that we’re headed towards a…
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Fun: “what five things did you do last week?”
It’s a long time since I’ve seen one of these terribly useful automatic text generators: https://www.opmreply.com/ Via Cark
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France, too, pushing to make it illegal to have privacy online:
French parliament will consider a law that would require the installation of backdoors in VPNs and instant messengers like Signal or WhatsApp. Fine of EUR 1.5 million for non-compliance. https://www.senat.fr/amendements/2024-2025/254/Amdt_73.html Via: