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Boycott USA: Options for Cloud Tech Consumers Seeking US Alternatives from Dropbox and Google Cloud

As the U.S. government pursues an increasingly opportunistic and transactional approach to international relationships, some consumers are responding in turn: there is emerging interest in boycotting U.S. services and seeking domestic alternatives, including in cloud technology. Many Google trends in February and March have shown 100% to 400% increase in searches related to European cloud...

By Jackie Leavitt — 13 Mar'25 Last Updated: 13 Mar'25

French National Assembly Rejects Encryption Backdoor

In what feels like a rare bit of good news on encryption, France has rejected a controversial new proposal that would’ve called for a backdoor into all encrypted messaging and email applications. The proposal came in the form of Article 8 of the Drug Trafficking Act, a bill that is currently being drafted in the...

By Aleksander Hougen — 12 Mar'25 Last Updated: 14 Mar'25

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UK Government Removes Encryption Advice From Websites

The U.K. government has removed advice to use encryption services from its guidance page for high-risk individuals. This comes after a months-long row between the government and Apple over an order requiring the tech giant to provide access to encrypted user-data to law enforcement agencies. In an earlier version of this advice, published as a...

By Aleksander Hougen — 07 Mar'25 Last Updated: 11 Mar'25

Apple Appeals UK Encryption Backdoor Order

Apple is challenging the U.K. government’s order to provide a backdoor into its encrypted user data, issued in January. A source familiar with the matter told the Financial Times that the tech giant has lodged an appeal to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the regulatory body that hears complaints against U.K. intelligence services. This potentially represents...

By Aleksander Hougen — 05 Mar'25 Last Updated: 12 Mar'25

Microsoft Shutting Down Skype

RIP Skype. After more than two decades of operation, the popular VoIP messaging and video conferencing service is shutting down in May 2025. Microsoft, which purchased Skype back in 2011, announced in a blog post that Skype will be permanently shutting down on May 5. In the post, the company explains that the move is...

By Aleksander Hougen — 01 Mar'25 Last Updated: 11 Mar'25

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Amazon Removes Option to Download & Transfer Via USB for Kindle Books

On February 26, 2025, Amazon removed the ability for users to download their Kindle books directly onto a PC or Mac. Although this feature was used by only a minority of Kindle users — at least once WiFi connectivity became standard across all Kindle devices — it has always been the best way to load...

By Aleksander Hougen — 26 Feb'25 Last Updated: 11 Mar'25

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Apple Removes Advanced Data Protection for UK Users

Apple has stopped offering Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for new users in the United Kingdom, effective Feb. 21, 2025. This comes after the U.K. Home Office reportedly requested blanket backdoor access to all encrypted user data that Apple holds. Initially, neither the Home Office nor Apple were willing to comment on the issue, but now...

By Aleksander Hougen — 23 Feb'25 Last Updated: 11 Mar'25

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UK Government Requests Backdoor to Apple’s User Data

In January 2025, the U.K. government requested backdoor access to all encrypted user data across Apple’s services. In reporting by the Washington Post, a source close to the matter said that the government’s order amounts to “blanket access” to all encrypted material stored by Apple users. The government order (known as a “technical capability notice”)...

By Aleksander Hougen — 09 Feb'25 Last Updated: 11 Mar'25

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