Apple will soon launch a web portal to accept requests for user data from law enforcement agencies across the globe, reports MacRumors.
That should make things easier for said agencies and Apple; at present, these requests for data that could serve as evidence in criminal investigations are made through a dedicated email account.
Alongside the site that should go live by the end of this year, the company is also building up a team that will train law enforcement officers around the world. It’s also creating an online training module for officers.
The move is a response to recommendations in a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the cybersecurity challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in the US.
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Apple has historically provided various kinds of customer data to aid in investigations when it’s received lawful requests. That includes the contents of your iCloud storage, your physical address, email address, IP address, and phone number, as well as device identifiers.
What it won’t do is create a backdoor that would grant any agency the ability to snoop on communications on its devices and services. The company famously refused to assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in this manner when it was asked to help unlock an iPhone that belonged to the shooter identified in the San Bernardino attacks in 2015.
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