this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2026
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Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car’s location, date, and time. They also capture your car’s make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points. These cameras collect data on millions of vehicles—regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. While these systems can be useful for tracking stolen cars or wanted individuals, they are mostly used to track the movements of innocent people.
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For the most part this it’s true, although it’s possible to do it securely. Security cam footage stored in iCloud is end to end encrypted. Apple can’t access it.
I wouldn't bet on that.
E2E doesn't matter if you don't control the other end.
Yes. 100%. End to end encrypted means the decryption key is at the other end. Where Apple is.
If it were ACTUALLY secure you would have BOTH the encryption AND decryption keys and Apple would only have a useless, unreadable, encrypted binary blob.
They literally give you the keys. See Advanced Data Protection
So, it does say that not even Apple can read your data, but it also says it's protected by "end to end encryption", which if Apple can't read your data, is absolutely nonsense usage of the term.
"End to end encryption" means encrypting the data at one end, and decrypting it at the other end. That's literally the NAME. If they're not doing that, the term is completely nonsense to use. They might as well say they have fat-free encryption. What they're really doing is storing an encrypted file that you hold both keys for. And IF that's what they're doing, that's actually fantastic - far better than end-to-end encryption because only you can decrypt it. But they're not inspiring confidence by COMPLETELY misusing a term that has nothing to do with what they're doing.
The other point is, if those keys... if you have to manually copy those keys over between all of your devices? Great. You're actually protected. If, however, you just connect to your Apple account and now you can get your files out of iCloud? That means that Apple DOES have your decryption keys SOMEWHERE, because otherwise they couldn't send them to your other devices, which means, sorry, whatever they're promising, they DO have the ability to look at your files if they're motivated enough.
End to end means the ends you use it at, ot the server you’re imagining it ending up on.
In this case the “ends” are your devices.
It has to be decrypted for you to use it stupid... Ffs they literally call it out in the line "No one else can access your end-to-end encrypted data, not even Apple, and this data remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud.". To apple end to end encryption is keeping the data entirely encrypted up until it hits your device where you use it... I could go on about how you misunderstand the tech but you're better off just actually looking into how they implement it because they account for your concerns.
The fact that there are multiple seprate recovery options to regain access to your account and with it access to those encrypted backups is all the clue you need to know those keys are not stored only on your device.
Apple has access to those keys - whether they want to directly admit it or not.
"With Advanced Data Protection turned on, Apple doesn't have the encryption keys needed to help you recover your end-to-end encrypted data." it's literally on the page. If they have them, prove it, and launch yourself the most profitable lawsuit against apple possible. Otherwise you're just bring a grumpy fool.
Two things here. I'm not saying these are necessarily true, but they can be true.
-Apple could be lying.
-Apple could change their corporate policy on providing backdoor access for governments.
In the end, you are trusting a profit-seeking corporation to protect your data and conduct themselves in an ethical and honest way. They also had their phones built in factories where people threw themselves from the rooftop to escape the inhumane conditions. Just saying...
That could be true of literally any encryption you did not develop yourself and any os or hardware in the same lieu. Apple's implementation is legally binding and third-party verified. That's as good as you're gonna get with any operating system you don't entirely vet yourself, and no a third party linux distribution is not a os you manage yourself as governments local to the distrubuting party/management organization can require backdoors in even those.
In the end you are trusting other humans using their tools to do things you hope you understand but generally fully do not, so you must engage in a modicum of trust. This is just the great abstraction problem in any compute environment. Generally we base this on past or prior actions in combination with behaviors we can monitor or prove. Or should we talk about how pretty much every modern encryption scheme was minted by the NSA?... Just saying... Right that doesn't mean anything and I say that knowing I've got the loaded bullet of apple being the only corporate entity I'm familiar with to risk a public war with the US government by hosting this page despite gag orders while also refusing to implement said backdoors. https://www.apple.com/customer-letter/
Here is what I think of Apple's decade old customer letter...
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/10/23/apple-amongst-us-tech-giants-backing-trumps-white-house-ballroom-reno
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/03/tim-cook-apple-donate-1-million-trump-inauguration
Businesses "Standing up to Trump" was so 2016. 2025 was the year of "bend the knee, kiss the rings, work the shaft."
If you didn't see that as a masterclass in running with a bad situation you clearly aren't watching closely enough. I don't agree with the actions, but a 25k gold turd dumped on the orange turds desk saved them millions in additional illegal tarrifs leveraged against Chinese imports, and their business actions have no impact on the technological underpinnings. That's the whole point of what I said, that it doesn't fucking matter who made it or what they're doing at the end of the day because you're trusting underlying encryption technology developed by the NSA (or did you forget Edward Snowden leaked they were spying on everyone?). Like /r/whoosh..
Trump is a huge idiot, but he's an even bigger gifter and conman. You think he let Apple off the hook for a little statue? Do you think the CEO of Apple flew out there just to give it to him personally to really show his appreciation? Trump doesn't do anything without some quid pro quo, and there is no way he let Apple off the leash for such a paltry tithe.
Tim went there to let Trump know he would play ball.
You're not wrong that they did a lot more than that. 1Mil for the ballroom, etc, etc. But given the illegal actions taken by the government there were no other options, and paying financial tithes does not compromise apple's core mission which is valid critique you can leverage against them. I'm no apple stan. They're not my savior, or even a "good" company imo... But you gotta pick your battles man and just making shit up ain't gonna get you anywhere in any debate, unless apparently you're the toddler n chief of the united states.
Did Tim not go there personally? Did he not bend the knee? Would you consider the small trophy an insufficient bribe for the amount of financial relief Apple got from the most successful conman grifter in history? It's logical to assume there is a gap in what we saw, and what actually happened.
In the end, your device will never be truly open source hardware + software, whether its Apple or not, so you will have to trust someone at some point if you'd like to continue using electronic devices.
True, but you can use open source software that is vetted by multiple independent 3rd party non-profit organizations that have only their own reputation to uphold, and who's findings are verified by thousands of independent reaearchers.
Perhaps, in the end, storing your data on media you don't actually control shouldn't be considered as locked in a safe, but instead stored in a museum with a high price of admission.
If only we had open source hardware to run that open source software on, then it could actually be trusted. Until you control the hardware, you shouldnt consider it safe.
If only there were multiple independent 3rd party non-profit organizations that have only their own reputation to uphold, and who’s findings are verified by thousands of independent reaearchers, to review hardware and check for backdoors.
They literally say to store your Recovery keys in a safe place or you could get locked out of your account.
Set up a recovery key for your Apple Account
They do not.
E2E in the context of data stored at rest conceptually just means that "current you" is sending data to "future you" where the two ends are "current you" and "future you."
Always question and audit the implementation of any E2E claim by a vendor, but the term itself refers to how only those with authorized access can decrypt, and that the service provider itself need not be authorized.
You don’t have to bet on it. Just look it up.
Trolls never do the legwork.
Not sure if I’m the troll, or the other guy, but just in case I’ll add this.
https://support.apple.com/en-lb/guide/security-pdf/sec525461d19/web
If anyone can prove that this implementation has security vulnerabilities (such as Apple being able to view your footage), you are in for a huge payday.
You’re not the troll. :)
Idk why you're being down voted. With ADP enabled and using icloud secure cameras the data is encrypted by keys stored only on your local devices, Apple has no access to these keys and there are no recovery options through apple. If you lose all of your devices and your recovery code and your login information, the data is gone. This has been validated by independent third parties. It's also worth noting that apple still to this day hosts the only corporate "fuck you, we're encrypting it" public memo I've ever seen at https://www.apple.com/customer-letter/ .
I’m being downvoted because I dare say something positive about Apple. People don’t like that here.
Apparently and fr. I'm by no means an apple stan but let's give them shit for things they're actually guilty of instead of gaslighting ourselves with new bs.
Pretty much. There’s plenty to bitch out apple for. I don’t see why people can’t just stick to the facts.
Yeah, I remember several years ago they got a terrorists iphone and Bush tried to pressure Apple to give them access to the phone; Apple refused to cooperate. Good on them.
https://lemmy.world/comment/25339959
ah, yes!
Sure, let's stick to facts like Apple is the most privacy oriented company in the world and regularly gives a "fuck you" to the government.
Apple admits to secretly giving governments push notification data - Ars Technica
Apple account data is irrecoverable.
How to request access to a deceased family member’s Apple Account
Just because you repeat marketing "talking points", doesn't make it a "fact".
Simping for one of the most profitable, closed source, authoritarian friendly, anti competitive, ring kissing pedophile president company is definitely a choice.
The push notification issue applied to all push notifications including any os that delivered them (Google, Microsoft, etc) which is a valid concern we can discuss, family recovery is not possible with ADP enabled jfc learn to read, and I never stated they were the most privacy oriented company in the world. Hate all you like boo but their implementation of E2E is vetted and legit as any, and idk how any of this is simping because I don't fucking like apple. I'm just not going to subscribe to blind stupid baseless hate that does not follow any factual reality.
Jellyfin! Android! Lanepslitting!
These are all things that, if you go against, will bring out the angry nerds.
Nope! The only question that needs to be asked is: who manages the encryption keys?
If the answer isn't you, it isn't E2E encrypted.
The answer is you lol it’s end to end encrypted. You couldn’t do one google search before making some dumb assumptions?
Do you actually know anything about Apes E2EE or ADP?
You do control the keys. They’re generated solely on your device locally.