| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | Yes |
| Product Type | Cloud |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://icloud.com |
iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud computing service provided by Apple. It offers various internet-based services, including iCloud Photos, device backups, and the Find My network.
Consumer-impact summary
Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of the product (if applicable):
- User freedom
- User privacy
- Business model
- Market control
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Incidents
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product line. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the ICloud category.
Celebrity photo leaks (2014)
In August 2014, a series of brute-force attacks targeted iCloud accounts, leading to the unauthorized access and release of private photographs belonging to multiple celebrities.[citation needed (17 July 2026)] Apple denied that a breach of iCloud itself had occurred, attributing the incident to weak user passwords and phishing attacks.[1] However, vulnerabilities allowing brute-force attacks remained unaddressed the following year, raising concerns over iCloud's security measures.[2]
Data hosting in China (2018)
In 2018, Apple transitioned Chinese users' iCloud data to local servers in compliance with Chinese data laws.[3] The move raised concerns regarding government surveillance, as the encryption keys for the data were also stored within China.[3] Apple stated that this change only affected users residing in mainland China; however, it did not specify how it distinguishes between residents and visitors.[4]
End-to-end encryption restrictions in the United Kingdom (2025—Present)
In February 2025, Apple disabled its end-to-end encryption feature for iCloud, Advanced Data Protection (ADP), for users in the United Kingdom. The decision followed a request from the UK government, which sought access to encrypted user data.[5]
"Hide My Email" degraded effectiveness (2026)
On June 15, Apple quietly announced a "unification" of newly-generated e-mail aliases under a private.icloud.com domain.[6] This change makes it obvious to login-systems that the user is signing-up using a "private" alias (with forwarding) instead of their real e-mail address, which allows them to easily block such addresses and force the user to expose their real e-mail address, typically for the purpose of sending spam to the user.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2 Sep 2014). "Apple denies iCloud breach in celebrity nude photo hack". The Verge. Archived from the original on 31 Aug 2025. Retrieved 17 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Charlton, Alistair (2 Jan 2015). "iCloud accounts at risk of brute force attack as hacker exploits 'painfully obvious' password flaw". International Business Times UK. Archived from the original on 30 Dec 2025. Retrieved 17 Jul 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lakshmanan, Ravie (18 May 2021). "How Apple Gave Chinese Government Access to iCloud Data and Censored Apps". The Hacker News. Archived from the original on 9 Feb 2026. Retrieved 17 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "Learn more about iCloud in China mainland". Apple. 15 Apr 2025. Archived from the original on 28 Nov 2025. Retrieved 17 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Kingsley-Hughes, Adrian (25 Feb 2025). "Why Apple's disabling of iCloud encryption in the UK is bad news for everyone". ZDNET. Archived from the original on 29 Dec 2025. Retrieved 17 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "New domain for Sign in with Apple and iCloud+ Hide My Email". Apple. 15 Jun 2026. Archived from the original on 16 Jun 2026. Retrieved 17 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Shestakov, Arseniy (16 Jun 2026). "Apple is about to make Hide My Email useless". Arseniy Shestakov. Archived from the original on 16 Jun 2026. Retrieved 17 Jul 2026.