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back to article Apple: We'll tell users when the Feds come looking for their data

Apple has updated its procedures for dealing with police investigations into its users' data, and has promised to let individuals know when they are being probed – most of the time, that is. The new guidelines state that customers will not be notified if there is a non-disclosure order with the search warrant or if "we believe …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good start, now we need the US government policies to be fixed

    So there can't be any "secret warrants" issued, or if they must, allow companies to at least report numbers on them so citizens can judge if they're being abused.

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  2. Vector

    So much for that...

    "The new guidelines state that customers will not be notified if there is a non-disclosure order with the search warrant..."

    Which will become standard procedure, if it's not already. So don't expect to be hearing from Apple about invasion of your data any time soon.

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is this their UK policy as well?

    Thanks to the RIP Act in the UK it is a criminal offence to inform subjects of an investigation made under its auspices.

    Hilarious.

    Cheers

    Jon

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  4. ecofeco Silver badge

    Maybe

    After the fact.

    Eventually.

    But we'll tell you!

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  5. P. Lee

    You'd have to be a pretty dumb criminal these days to use any "smart" phone or tablet or online service or device, but I guess the smart ones are running the banks... ;)

    Try going analogue and offline to do all your encryption offline, put the data through a projector and use a webcam and OCR. Not usually required but if you are protecting the crown jewels you want an air gap where you control exactly what is transferred, right RSA?

    The scene in "Enemy of the State" when the phone booth is blown up used to look like unreasonable sci-fi paranoia. Now it just looks like a bit of overkill.

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  6. T. F. M. Reader

    Scope?

    So these new guidelines are relevant to "police investigations". I presume "national security investigations" are another matter entirely.

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    1. Swarthy
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Up

      Re: Scope?

      Very good catch.

      So police investigations, with warrants are somewhat limited for privacy's sake, and that's a good thing. It should be difficult to probe somebody's phone and get all of their info. But warrant-less, NSA-style hoovering of info, which is the really scary stuff, that is as yet un-addressed.

      It's a start, I guess.

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  7. Alan Denman

    Apple's are holier than though ...

    so there is nothing to see here.

    Of course if there are more holes in the IOS than in Nora Batty's tights then nothing needs ever be said.

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