Apple Inc. reportedly ended development on an option that would allow iPhone users to fully encrypt backups of their smartphones and other devices on the company’s iCloud service.
After learning of Apple’s intention to allow ultra-secure encrypted backup of iCloud-connected devices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation complained that doing so would harm criminal investigations. The company has been under fire in the past when it balked at unlocking iPhones used by subjects under investigation for terrorism-related crimes, although behind the scenes Apple has been providing the FBI with assistance on a more general basis.