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Comment by SubmindAlpha66 | Hacker News Reader

From the linked Apple page...

"For additional privacy and security, 15 data categories — including Health and passwords in iCloud Keychain — are end-to-end encrypted. Apple doesn't have the encryption keys for these categories, and we can't help you recover this data if you lose access to your account. The table below includes a list of data categories that are always protected by end-to-end encryption."

The FileVault keys are stored in the iCloud Keychain and Apple does not have access to them, full stop :-)

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> Apple does not have access to them

Unless they are given a warrant, then they magically have access to your encrypted data.

https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-fbi-icloud-investigati...

If they can get access to your icloud, they can get access to your laptop if you store your decryption key in your keychain.

The apple support link above has a table showing what apple has access to depending on if the user has Advanced Data Protection on or not.

The link you posted shows that the FBI got access to icloud and found screenshots saved there -- not the device; if the guy would have had ADP on all the FBI would get is mail, contacts, calendar data saved to icloud as Apple wouldn't have the key for the rest of it.

You are conflating iCloud Keychain with the rest of the iCloud data. iCloud keychain is always end-to-end encrypted. Apple cannot decrypt it even if they receive a subpoena. The other iCloud data like your photos are not end-to-end encrypted by default unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection (ADP).

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651 There is a table showing exactly what is E2EE under Standard vs ADP mode.

In the news article you shared above, it's very likely this person did not have ADP turned on. So everything in their iCloud that is not E2EE by default could be decrypted by Apple.

> The FileVault keys are stored in the iCloud Keychain and Apple does not have access to them, full stop :-)

It's worth pointing out that as an absolute statement, this is false, full stop :-)

For one, it depends on the version of macos. For another, on the version of macos that it IS "fixed", your terminology is wrong.

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