Why Apple locked latest operating system and threw away the key

Last week Apple released its new iOS 8 operating system for iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch devices. Most of the coverage of iOS 8 focuses on visible features that users can interact with.

But there's one major change in iOS 8 that most users probably won't notice unless they find themselves in a great deal of trouble. Specifically, Apple has radically improved the way that data on those devices is encrypted. Once users set a pass code, Apple will no longer be able to unlock your device - even if ordered to do so by a court.

While privacy advocates have praised Apple's move, it has drawn fire from some notable legal scholars. This came as Apple made a rare apology on Thursday for a software bug that has seen iPhone users lose service, while seeking to quell a storm over reports its new handsets are susceptible to bending.

The slew of negative headlines saw a steep drop in Apple stock, as the US technology giant acknowledged the software glitch, offering a temporary fix immediately and a full update "in the next few days".

Apple sought to minimise reports on bending of its newly released oversize iPhone, saying it had only received nine complaints about the matter.

Writing in The Washington Post on September 19, Orin Kerr referred to Apple's new security policy as a "dangerous game", one that "doesn't stop hackers, trespassers, or rogue agents" but "only stops lawful investigations with lawful warrants".