Apple has threatened UK authorities that its iMessage and Facetime features could be removed from the country if the “Investigative Powers Act (IPA)” of 2016 is passed.
Apple confirms Those who choose to remove these services for UK users rather than reduce the protection offered to users will have ramifications for other users of the site.
With regard to this new law, authorities will be required to obtain prior knowledge of features implemented in their services before releasing them to the public. Companies may be forced to disable or remove certain features before launch if the authorities deem the move to be incompatible with security levels or their intended content.
It should be noted that the UK authorities currently have the ability to carry out this process and request. However, deactivation of features will be a matter that companies can analyze and have the ability to appeal the same.
With the amendment to the law, authorities can immediately block operations, and companies will have to follow through with the final decision.
As for Apple, the company says it is unwilling to compromise security features of its services, ultimately affecting consumers in the UK and the rest of the world.
The company also asserts that if the move is approved, it will seriously attack data protection and privacy of user information even outside the UK.
