Reddit and Twitter request to take iOS security info offline

Reddit and Twitter have received requests in recent days to take messages about the security of Apple’s mobile operating system iOS offline. On Reddit it was about posts about jailbreaks, on Twitter about a message with the encryption key for the iPhone XR.

Reddit initially took the posts offline, but they are now back. These are posts announcing the release of jailbreak tools, some of which have been released in recent months. The best known of these is Checkra1n.

On Twitter it was about a tweet from a security researcher. He tweeted what is believed to be an encryption key to the iPhone XR’s Secure Enclave. The removal request came from lawyers acting on behalf of Apple, something that is not yet clear at Reddit. The request has also been withdrawn and the tweet is back online. Apple confirms to Motherboard that it was behind the request and claims that it sent a request and wanted to withdraw it, but that Twitter had already complied.

Security researchers, Motherboard said, see a pattern in the requests that Apple is seeking legal action to fight the spread of information about iOS vulnerabilities. The Checkm8 exploit makes all iPhones vulnerable up to the 2017 iPhone X.