Apple Fixes Bug That Cops Used To Extract Deleted Chat Messages From Iphones

Apple released a package update connected Wednesday for iPhones and iPads fixing a bug that allowed rule enforcement to extract messages that had been deleted aliases vanished automatically from messaging apps. This was because notifications that displayed nan messages’ contented were besides cached connected nan instrumentality for up to a month.

In a information announcement connected its website, Apple said that nan bug meant “notifications marked for deletion could beryllium unexpectedly retained connected nan device.”

This is simply a clear reference to an rumor revealed by 404 Media earlier this month. The independent news outlet reported that nan FBI had been capable to extract deleted Signal messages from someone’s iPhone utilizing forensic tools, owed to nan truth that nan contented of nan messages had been displayed successful a notification and past stored wrong a phone’s database — moreover aft nan messages were deleted wrong Signal.

After nan news, Signal president Meredith Whittaker said nan messaging app shaper asked Apple to reside nan issue. “Notifications for deleted messages shouldn’t stay successful immoderate OS notification database,” Whittaker wrote successful a station connected Bluesky.

It’s unclear why nan notifications’ contented was logged to statesman with, but today’s hole suggests it was a bug. 

Apple did not instantly respond to a petition for comment, asking why nan notifications were being retained. The institution besides backported nan fix to iPhone and iPad owners moving nan older iOS 18 software.

Privacy activists expressed siren erstwhile they learned that nan FBI had recovered a measurement astir a information characteristic that is utilized regular by at-risk users. Signal, for illustration different messaging apps specified arsenic WhatsApp, let users to group up a timer that instructs nan app to automatically delete messages aft a group magnitude of time. This characteristic tin beryllium adjuvant for anyone who wants to support their conversations concealed successful nan arena that authorities prehend their devices.