Apple · FBI · TechCrunch
Apple fixes bug that cops used to extract deleted chat messages from iPhones
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Apple released a software update on Wednesday for iPhones and iPads fixing a bug that allowed law enforcement to extract messages that had been deleted or disappeared automatically from messaging apps.
Key facts
- This is a clear reference to an issue revealed by 404 Media earlier this month
- After the news, Signal president Meredith Whittaker said the messaging app maker asked Apple to address the issue
- Privacy activists expressed alarm when they learned that the FBI had found a way around a security feature that is used daily by at-risk users
- In a security notice on its website, Apple said that the bug meant “notifications marked for deletion could be unexpectedly retained on the device
Summary
In a security notice on its website, Apple said that the bug meant “notifications marked for deletion could be unexpectedly retained on the device.” This is a clear reference to an issue revealed by 404 Media earlier this month. After the news, Signal president Meredith Whittaker said the messaging app maker asked Apple to address the issue. It’s unclear why the notifications’ content was logged to begin with, but today’s fix suggests it was a bug.