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Nelson woman delighted after Apple unlocks iPhone of late husband
- k_sh 8y agoThis article misses what I really wanted to hear - how did they unlock the device?
- TazeTSchnitzel 8y agoIt's possible to unlock an iPhone's passcode protection with its iCloud account, if the iPhone user has allowed that. Edit: I think I'm wrong and misremembering.
- gruez 8y agowhat setting is that under?
- pensatoio 8y agoDitto, I need to make sure it’s off...
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- xvector 8y agoAny idea how to disable this? Edit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306: > Unless you made a backup before you forgot your passcode, there isn't a way to save your device's data. You'll need to erase your device, which deletes all of your data and settings. Looks like the deceased had an iCloud backup of his iPhone, potentially unencrypted (i.e. without a password - Apple obviously encrypts this on their end). More in the iCloud security model: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 Edit 2: You can turn off iCloud backup altogether to avoid this (on an iPhone: Apple ID -> iCloud -> iCloud Backup -> Off).
- ProAm 8y agoIf I recall you cannot, I think Apple has the keys to your iCloud account so its always available for unlock (iCloud not the phone itself) this is how they provide access to authorities when they have a warrant. This was the case a few years ago, it might have changed since.
- madeofpalk 8y agoTo be clear, they provide access to the phone backup, but not the phone itself. In most cases though, a phone backup is an identical substitute for the phone itself.
- xvector 8y agoI believe this is the case for unencrypted iCloud backups. If you put a password on your iCloud backup, I'm not sure they can do that (as then it becomes E_iCloud(E_yourPwd(backup)) - doesn't look like they could do much more here than recover the user-encrypted backup). Anyone care to confirm?
- eugeniub 8y agoThis is not true. Under no case can Apple unlock an iPhone's passcode protection with the iCloud account, unless Apple is hiding something major. More likely, the iPhone was backed up to iCloud, and Apple granted access to the iCloud backup, which would probably be essentially identical to the contents of the iPhone itself.
- bbatsell 8y agoI think you might be conflating macOS and iOS. When you enable FileVault (macOS full-disk encryption), you are given the option to upload a recovery key to Apple tied to your iCloud account. To my knowledge this is not offered with iOS.
- spondyl 8y agoFor context, this article is regarding a Fair Go story. They're like a "Stand up for the small guy" type show here in New Zealand so it's not surprise that they didn't really go into detail at all. Their target audience wouldn't know, nor likely care how Apple went about this process. The same could also be said likely about whether it was a phone unlock or an iCloud dump. Viewers just want to see a happy ending for the "small guy against the big corporate"
- xvector 8y agoWhoa, did not expect this. Has Apple faltered in its no-compromises approach to privacy?
- closeparen 8y agoThe dead have no privacy rights.
- jarsin 8y ago#DeadLivesMatter!
- lostlogin 8y agoIncorrect here in New Zealand. The dead have less privacy rights but not zero. In particular, if the information relates to another person and may breach their privacy it should be kept private. Seems complicated. https://privacy.org.nz/further-resources/knowledge-base/view/220 https://privacy.org.nz/further-resources/knowledge-base/view...
- closeparen 8y ago>if the information relates to another person and may breach their privacy Then it is the living person's privacy rights which are in force, not the dead's.
- lostlogin 8y agoAs per the link, parts of the Act apply to the dead.
- eugeniub 8y agoI suspect that Apple sent them the iCloud backup contents, not the iPhone contents, and that this article reports this story poorly.
- kovrik 8y agoSo iCloud Backup is not encrypted then?
- travbrack 8y agoIf it is, Apple has the key.
- shawnz 8y agoThey seem to imply otherwise on this page: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202303 https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202303 EDIT: On a second reading it looks like there's a difference between the "on server" encrypted data and the "end to end" encrypted data. Backups are covered under the former but not the latter. Shame.
- nudpiedo 8y agoIf the wife inherits the properties of the defunct husband... isn’t that what is expected thing from Apple? Same as any other inherited property
- spectre 8y agoNo inheritance doesn't compel Apple to unlock that inherited property. Imagine it like a safe. You might inherit a safe but there is no obligation on the manufacturer to help you unlock it.
- mudiaga 8y agobut what good is a safe without a key. esp when the only way to open it is through the manufacturer
- hartator 8y agoTo push the analogy, if you need a code to open your safe, but forgot to put the code in your will, is the manufacturer required to provide you a master key?
- mudiaga 8y agooh well yea, you've got a point there.
- pbhjpbhj 8y agoThe deceased is expecting to make the necessary preparations before dying. Facebook has a system to let a user allow trusted user to takeover access, or let a user allow a group of friends to agree to takeover access; which both seem good methods of handling inheritance of account data.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- minitoar 8y agoI think a more appropriate analogy is that this is like a safe deposit box. You lost the key. The bank is obligated to help you out, even if for a fee to drill the lock.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- qrbLPHiKpiux 8y agoIt’s a poorly ignorantly written article from a non-tech point of view. Respectfully.
- draw_down 8y agoHas this been reported anywhere else? Seems fishy
- arrty88 8y agoWhat about a password reset to the mans non apple email address?
- cryptozeus 8y agoYeh ?
- acangiano 8y agoI hope someone informed her on recommended backup practices. Imagine going through all that trouble and then losing the data again because of hardware failure.
- telltruth 8y agoThis entire thing is very eerie. Someone might rumor that you have had argument with some female non-employee yesterday in a bar and next day you could be unemployed. Employers are now frequently rolling out judgements if employees don't conform to their world view even outside of work. An employer unilaterally decides if unlocking a phone for person X fits in to their fency and whims. Sure, you can say that vote with your wallet but the bigger question is why we as citizens should accept such unabashed power bestowed to any entity to roll out decisions that should be made by court of laws with due process.