[conradev]

[EDIT: I misread]

> Even if you disable backups, whenever you correspond with someone that has backups enabled those messages are still accessible to Apple.

That last bit is not true. From Apple’s security PDF:

> When Messages in iCloud is enabled, iMessage, Business Chat, text (SMS), and MMS messages are removed from the user’s existing iCloud Backup and are instead stored in an end-to-end encrypted CloudKit container for Messages. The user’s iCloud Backup retains a key to that container. If the user later disables iCloud Backup, that container’s key is rolled, the new key is stored only in iCloud Keychain (inaccessible to Apple and any third parties), and new data written to the container can’t be decrypted with the old container key.

https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1902/en_US/app...

[notafraudster]

The quoted parent says that if Adam sends a message to Bob, and Adam has backups off, but Bob has backups on, that Bob's copy of the message Adam sent is accessible to authorities.

[conradev]

I see! I misread

[mprovost]

Bob is one end of end-to-end.

[solaarphunk]

It’s worth noting that if you use iMessage for MacOS, all of your messages are stored unencrypted, in plain text, on your computer HD.

[ibigb]

I'd guess most macos systems (laptops) have encrypted hard drives.

[solaarphunk]

Yes, however if you use a company computer, those are typically logged by monitoring software and archived elsewhere.

[ric2b]

That protects you in the case of physical theft but not from any other program you run exfiltrating the data.