Other countries would bid for the same veto, and go to great lengths if necessary to obtain “equality” in this respect to UK. Countries would then all veto security improvements they could exploit on one-another. If country A knows country B would benefit from a patch going out, country A could veto, leading to an overall worse experience and destruction of quality, trust, and value in Apple in the long run. The pedophile argument is so worn when UK is toothless in holding its own Prince Andrew’s behavior to account.<p>Overall, Home Office is gaming to destroy value in Apple. The legislation is an existential threat to the company’s long term health. If there were technical people at Home Office who knew better on security than the engineers at Apple, they would already be working at Apple since Apple pays better. Even a person most “duty bound to service” has to pay rent or a mortgage, so the most highly-skilled people in security are already working at firms like Apple, and not for Home Office where they presume to veto privacy for the world.
It’ll never happen, but how wonderful would it be for a major international company to simply withdraw from a country that manages to push through crazy rules?
Is it illegal in the UK for two or more people to communicate in such a way as for the communication to be not understood or recorded by an external party?<p>If not, how is it illegal to facilitate that communication?<p>(I guess: because authoritarian politicians can make up nonsensical authoritarian legislation)<p>I prefer legislation to be sensical, but I guess this is the timeline.
Time for Apple, Google, and Meta to take a stand against this madness by threatening to withdraw their services from the UK. If the UK government manages to get its way then there will be a long queue of other nations looking to bring in similar laws. Security and privacy on the net would then become lowest common denominator, criminality would be unimpeded, and internet-based economic activity would be massively impacted by lack of trust.<p>Disclosure: I'm British and I can state with confidence that my present government are delusional idiots
On the one hand, I hate my (the UK) government and using laws like this to spy on people is totally their modus operandi.<p>On the other hand, I don't think for a second Apple have pure and benevolent intentions here (or anywhere, for that matter)
I'd be more okay with HN's "poor weak countries and their regulations are the only things standing in the way of mighty Apple" contingent if it weren't for incredibly predictable things like this.