For a while now, the UK government has been asking various tech companies for access to the encrypted data of its users. Apple is the first to comply with this, although not exactly in the way the government intended. What does this mean for UK users?

Putting electronics that you've just spilt your coffee all over into uncooked rice in the hopes of drying it out is one of those things that many of us have absorbed as fact in a similar way to what you're supposed to do to ease a jellyfish sting. However, much like the latter example, it appears common knowledge is wrong in this case too.

Working out exactly how your online advertising is performing is becoming increasingly difficult in these post GDPR times, and Apple will be making it harder still by introducing changes to their forthcoming operating systems that will start ignoring tracking codes included in website links.

The EU has now set a deadline for all manufacturers of phones and other portable electronic devices to move over to USB-C charging ports if they're not already using them. From December 28th 2024, all portable devices (including iPhones and iPads) must be using this port. But Apple may not be the only ones displeased about this...

Don't worry - nothing to do with pandemics! You may remember a lot of reporting on attacks using so-called "Pegasus" spyware a while back, which allowed attackers pretty much full access to any phone with no known fix. This new feature coming to iPhones is intended to mitigate this risk somewhat.

In our blog last month, we mentioned a proposed new EU law that will compel Apple to allow other rival web browsers on their iThings. This month, reports suggest we will soon be seeing the effects of a previous EU ruling across the whole iOS range that will have a big impact on how those devices will be charged in the future.

According to recent reports, legislation is currently being finalised that will force Apple to allow iOS users to fully run browsers other than Safari in the EU, at least (and therefore likely also the UK as well if past EU rulings on similar matters since we've left are any guage).

Shortly after we published our blog last month asking whether Apple's child safety plan was the thin end of the wedge, they announced that they would be delaying these plans. While we won't take full credit for this, what has Apple decided to do here, exactly?