EU Mobile Operators Urge Regulators to Outlaw iCloud Private Relay [Report]

EU mobile operators are urging regulators to outlaw Apple's new iCloud Private Relay feature, reports The Telegraph.

Now available in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, the feature prevents network operators from seeing information related to a user's web traffic, such as their IP address and DNS records. You can learn more about iCloud Private Relay here.

Mobile operators say access to this data is critical. In a joint letter to the European Commission signed by Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange and T-Mobile, the carriers claim the feature undermines European digital sovereignty and affects their ability to manage networks.


"Private relay purports to enhance users’ privacy when connecting to and browsing the internet by encrypting and redirecting traffic ... thereby cutting off other networks and servers from accessing vital network data and metadata, including those operators in charge of the connectivity.

"The way private relay is implemented will have significant consequences in terms of undermining European digital sovereignty.

"Furthermore, private relay will impair others to innovate and compete in downstream digital markets and may negatively impact operators’ ability to efficiently manage telecommunication networks."

Notably, the carriers believe that Apple will be classed as a "digital gatekeeper" under the EU digital markets act. This could stop such services as private relay but the act won't come into force until 2023 at the earliest.


More details in the full report linked below...

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