The company said it was "gravely disappointed" to no longer be able to offer Advanced Data Protection to iPhone users in the UK.

With Apple removing its best iPhone security feature rather than submitting to misjudged government demands, it’s clear the long-running encryption debate will fire up again. And while on the surface this looks like a simply battle between law enforcement and big tech,

The iPhone maker said its Advanced Data Protection encryption feature is no longer available for new users in the United Kingdom and will eventually be disabled for existing users.

Apple is scrapping its most advanced security encryption feature for cloud data in Britain, the company said on Friday, an unprecedented response to government demands for access to user data.

Apple said on Friday it was ending full end-to-end encryption for British customers and iPhone users, following US media reports the UK government had asked for global data access.

The iPhone maker confirmed last week that it would end access for UK users to the optional end-to-end encryption feature, which helps to ensure that only users can access their own personal data, such as photos and messages.

Apple has a security nightmare on its hands that’s showing no signs yet of coming to an end. For the first time, the iPhone-maker is making its famously locked-down phones less secure, putting millions of users at risk.

In a bid to boost its surveillance efforts, the UK Government's Home Office reportedly requested a ‘backdoor’ be built into Apple’s end-to-end encryption to allow law enforcement agencies access to user data.

U.S. officials are examining whether the UK broke a bilateral agreement by reportedly demanding that Apple build a "backdoor" allowing the British government to access backups of data in the company's encrypted cloud storage systems.

If you live in the UK, the security of your data on Apple devices just took a hit. But if you're anywhere else, you can take steps to bolster your private information. Last week Apple took the unusual step of turning off its highest level of iCloud encryption,

Apple has just removed Advanced Data Protection for iCloud Users in the U.K. Here’s what it means and why it’s a big change for consumers.

Security officials argue that encryption hinders criminal investigations, while tech firms defend it as essential to user privacy.