Apple's latest iPhone privacy ad touts iMessage encryption

gatorguy

nicholfd said:

jbdragon said:

While iMessage us encrypted, Apple holds the keys and so law enforcement can read your messages if they thought they needed to.

Actually, Apple does not hold the keys.  Keys are private between each device in the conversation.  Apple never sees/receives the keys.
https://www.apple.com/privacy/approach-to-privacy/
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303

He may have been referring to the cloud backup for which Apple does hold the keys.

With that said the Chinese and Russians are quite vehement that any encrypted messaging apps used in their countries be accessible to authorities for security reasons. Many messaging apps have been banned by one or both as a result of government and/or court-ordered mandate for refusing. For whatever reason Apple's iMessage has not.