Apple Will Begin Notifying Users of Information Requests from Law Enforcement

applelogo.pngApple will begin notifying its users of secret personal data requests from law enforcement, according to The Washington Post, as the company believes users have a right to know in advance if their information is being targeted by the government.

Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google all are updating their policies to expand routine notification of users about government data seizures, unless specifically gagged by a judge or other legal authority, officials at all four companies said. Yahoo announced similar changes in July.

Prosecutors, however, say the move could tip off criminals, allowing them to destroy potential digital evidence, cover their tracks and intimidate potential witnesses before law enforcement can build their case. Alternatively, the Post notes that some companies who already notify users before a government requests have found that investigators have dropped data requests to avoid having suspects learn of their inquiries.

In the United States, the typical search warrant requires the police to notify the suspect that they are being searched. However, so-called "sneak-and-peek" warrants are not unheard of and allow investigators to search a suspect's house or other property without any notification. This ability was expanded in the PATRIOT Act, allowing the Federal Government to utilize such warrants in nearly any crime.

Apple and the other companies are seeking to nullify these sneak-and-peek warrants as they pertain to the digital realm.

Apple's changes will be unveiled in an updated privacy policy later this month, an Apple spokeswoman told the Post, and users will be notified in "most cases" when their information is requested by a government entity. Cases in which Apple would not notify users include data requests from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and subpoenas from the FBI for national security investigations.

“Later this month, Apple will update its policies so that in most cases when law enforcement requests personal information about a customer, the customer will receive a notification from Apple,” company spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said.

The Cupertino company has been increasingly concerned about privacy matters since the discovery of secret intelligence program PRISM, with CEO Tim Cook saying the NSA would have to cart them "out in a box" before it could access Apple's servers. Apple has also hired certified privacy professional Sabrina Ross as privacy counsel to oversee the protection of customer data.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...

Top Rated Comments

rmatthewware Avatar
146 months ago
If the government needs the data so bad, maybe they should get a warrant and physically confiscate the device?

or just install internet explorer on the phone...
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z400Racer37 Avatar
146 months ago
In this case how long the notification will come before the data is turned over. I would imagine the government wants it to be as short as they can get it so you can't tamper anything.

My data. My property. Don't care what they want.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mattsasa Avatar
146 months ago
Thank God
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
146 months ago
this is terrible, way to let criminal enterprises and drug dealers get away with it.

if you have nothing to hide why do you care? this only helps criminals and terrorists. i am very disappointed in Apple.

"If you have nothing to hide..." is the typical bully boy response to this. You make it seem as if anyone caring about privacy is doing nasty things that need to be hidden away. The clear intent is to paint anyone who cares about privacy as morally and ethically inferior.

There's a good chance that Apple will get requests for example if you committed the serious crime of dating the daughter of a policeman. Or the even more serious crime of being the neighbour of a policeman who is curious about you. Or the even more serious crime of watching a violent policeman beating up someone in the street, and now they need to find some dirt on you to protect that policeman. There's a good chance that the information if it is saucy enough and you are just slightly famous will go straight to the next newspaper, or even has been paid for in advance by a newspaper.

This doesn't "only help criminals and terrorists". It has the most beneficial effect of protecting innocent people from a police state. Because I do lots of things that are none of any ****ing policeman's ****ing business, and I applaud Apple for protecting my freedom and my rights to do these things. And the right to say this without the fear that the number of speeding tickets that I receive will grow exponentially because I used the words "****ing policeman".

----------

If I have nothing to hide, you have no business with me.

If you have nothing to hide, you lead a very boring life. :D

----------

In people's paranoia about the gub'mint listening in on their Mother's Day wishes to dear ol' Mom, they are forgetting that there are often times when the data taps are absolutely justified - i.e., child porn traffickers are often caught this way. I hope Apple takes great care in exactly who they are alerting and don't inadvertently let criminals escape justice.

Here's what you don't get: All these laws are about protecting the rights of innocent citizens. The way to protect the rights of innocent citizens is to take away the incentives for the police to spy on people in a way that would be unacceptable if these people are innocent. That's why for example the results of illegal searches can't be used even if they prove someone is a criminal, because making these results invalid protects innocent people from illegal searches.

Since Apple is not the police, and has no idea what you are doing, asking Apple to take great care who they are alerting is ridiculous. They don't know, and they have no reason to care. Apple doesn't classify people into "innocent", "guilty", "possibly guilty". They classify people into "has an iTunes account" and "has no iTunes account", and that is all that Apple knows and needs to know.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
146 months ago
Kudos to Tim Cook and the Apple team!

Now if Apple could just set-up its own:
1. DNS address system
2. TOR anonymization relay system.

We could be relatively sure not to be snooped on by google or the NSA.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bloomedis Avatar
146 months ago
Finally, some Fourth Amendment realization here.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)