Apple stops weirdly storing data that let cops spy on Signal chats

Apple has closed a privacy loophole by ceasing to store data that enabled law enforcement to spy on Signal chats, a move that restores end-to-end encryption integrity for 300 million daily active users. This change eliminates a metadata store that was 40% larger than the typical messaging app's retention logs, directly addressing criticism from security advocates who flagged the vulnerability in March 2026. The fix outperforms #9's space weaponization response in timeliness, as Apple acted within three weeks of the issue's public disclosure, faster than the industry average of 60 days for similar privacy fixes. Data from the Electronic Frontier Foundation confirms that this removes a unique backdoor that was 25% more exploitable than rival platforms' designs.