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Germany Considering Law Banning End-to-End Encryption in Chat Apps

Charlotte Henry ·

German officials are considering banning end-to-end encryption in chat apps like Apple iMessage, WhatsApp, and Signal. Currently, law enforcement officers are only allowed to collect communications found on a suspect’s device. An expanded law would include allowing law enforcement access to data from firms that currently provide end-to-end encryption on chat services and software, The Register reported.

True and strong end-to-end encrypted conversations can only be decrypted by those participating in the discussion, so the proposed rules would require app makers to deliberately knacker or backdoor their code in order to comply. Those changes would be needed to allow them to collect messages passing through their systems and decrypt them on demand. Up until now, German police have opted not to bother with trying to decrypt the contents of messages in transit, opting instead to simply seize and break into the device itself, where the messages are typically stored in plain text.

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Apple Creates ‘App Store: Principles and Practices’ Page

Andrew Orr ·

Apple has a created a new web page titled, ‘App Store: Principles and Practices’ possibly as a reaction to the accusations that the App Store is a monopoly.

We believe that what’s in our store says a lot about who we are. We strongly support all points of view being represented on the App Store. But we also take steps to make sure apps are respectful to users with differing opinions, and reject apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line — especially when it puts children at risk. For example, we strictly prohibit any app that features pornographic material, discriminatory references, torture and abuse, or anything else in exceptionally poor taste.

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Philip Lee Creates the Classicbot Mac Plush

Andrew Orr ·

Designer Philip Lee has created the Classicbot Mac plush, giving you a squishy Mac you can hug.

Priced at $72, the Classicbot Giant Plush is rather expensive, but like Lee’s smaller figurines, it’s been designed with quite a lot of detail. There’s a disk insert at the front along with a Classicbot logo in place of an Apple logo, and at the back, embroidered details represent the fan, ports, plus, and more.

A perfect product for Apple collectors.

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EU Official Who Fined Apple Billions Wants to Be Commission President

Charlotte Henry ·

Margrethe Vestager is the EU Competition Commissioner. In that capacity, she has dealt out billions of Euros worth of fines to major tech firms, including Apple. Now, she wants to be President of the EU Commission and told Wired what she thinks of the digital ecosystem.

Six months into her job, in April 2015, Vestager had already reversed that practice, issuing a Statement of Objections – essentially, a “we are coming for you” klaxon – against Google for abuse of its dominant position in the price comparison sector, and launching an investigation into Android’s anticompetitive potential. Both cases resulted in multi-billion fines. It was only the start: over the next years, almost every technology giant would undergo the Vestager treatment. Apple, asked to fork over €13 billion (£11.42bn) in back taxes after being granted “illegal tax benefits” by Ireland…chip-making company Qualcomm, fined €997m (£875m) for paying Apple to ensure that it would not buy chips from other companies.