Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of major encrypted messenger Telegram, argues that Apple's cloud service iCloud is "at present officially a surveillance tool."

Citing a Jan. 21 Reuters report, Durov claimed that applications similar WhatsApp — which rely on iCloud to store private messages — are "part of the problem." Telegram CEO delivered his verdict in a postal service on his official Telegram channel on Jan. 21:

"iCloud is at present officially a surveillance tool. Apps that are relying on it to store your private messages (such as WhatsApp) are part of the problem."

Apple dropped its finish-to-terminate encryption plans for iCloud two years ago

Specifically, Durov's post refers to a written report claiming that Apple dropped its long-running plans to let iPhone users to fully encrypt backups of their devices in the iCloud. According to Reuters, the tech giant has given upwardly its end-to-stop encryption plans after the FBI complained that such a characteristic would harm investigators. Citing vi bearding sources familiar with the matter, the written report notes that Apple had to drop its plans two years ago, just the issue has not been reported previously.

While Apple has reportedly shifted its focus to protecting some of the "most sensitive user data" like saved passwords, backed-upwardly texts from iMessage, WhatsApp and other encrypted services remain available to Apple tree employees and regime, Reuters wrote.

The news comes later on President Donald Trump blasted Apple in a Jan. xiv tweet, arguing that the company "refuses to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements."

Telegram has been resisting regulatory anti-privacy force per unit area

Every bit Telegram positions itself every bit a global fighter for privacy, opposing major tech giants like Facebook and Google, Durov'southward recent claims reinforce the company's focus on ensuring "real privacy." Launched in 2013, Telegram is a deject-based messenger that aims to provide secure encryption, protecting users from third parties such every bit marketers, advertisers and officials.

Given its strong desire to provide the global community with tools to protect from the eyes of Big Brother, Telegram has already encountered some regulatory issues so far.

After Telegram refused to manus over the encryption keys to user accounts to the Russian government in 2018, the country's major internet monitoring organization Roskomnadzor declared that the app will be blocked "in the virtually future." Despite subsequent multiple efforts to ban admission to the messenger, Telegram was withal operational at the time, and still remains attainable in the land to appointment.

Previously, Iranian authorities similarly tried to block Telegram among nationwide protests later on the firm refused to shut down some "peacefully protesting channels." Despite multiple bans, some government agencies including country-run regime were reportedly using Telegram as of Apr 2019.