Joseph Menn, reporting for Reuters:

Apple Inc dropped plans to let iPhone users fully encrypt backups of their devices in the company’s iCloud service after the FBI complained that the move would harm investigations, six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The reasoning behind why Apple dropped plans to encrypt iCloud backups might be questionable. But the reality is that iCloud backups are not encrypted. It’s pretty pathetic that a company that has pitched itself as a privacy-focused option continues to have such a major hole in the system.

If you care about your privacy, it might be a good idea to consider backing up your iOS devices locally with iTunes or Finder instead of through iCloud. This will let you have a bit more control over your data and give you the option to actually encrypt backups.

And to be clear, you don’t have to connect your device with a cable each time you perform a backup. An often forgotten feature of iOS is the ability to sync/backup with iTunes or Finder over WiFi.

➝ Source: reuters.com