"If you have iCloud Backup turned on, your backup includes a copy of the key protecting your Messages. This ensures you can recover your Messages if you lose access to iCloud Keychain and your trusted devices."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303

Sarcasm critique: I think a quote would make it clearer:

> > iCloud isn't some separate entity from iMessage. It's all Apple.

> Got any sources for that? Sounds a lot like FUD.

Not sarcasm. Sources please.

Let's not use sarcasm or sources..... Let's puzzle it out.

You don't use a password to encrypt your iCloud backups... They're specific to the hardware your backing up. If you have an itouch for example it's backups are separate from your phone.

So now you have these backups in the cloud and you lose your iPhone, you remote wipe it.

Now your new one arrives and you restore from backup... Your iMessage private keys are available to apple unencrypted .... Because you didn't need to provide a second factor of authentication for unlocking the backup you were just asked which one to use.

Apple and any reputable nation-state can read your iMessages with a subpoena ... If you use iCloud backups and not local backups with a password.

> nation-state

I wish this meme of trying to sound fancy by misusing the term "nation-state" would die.

1) No such thing as an “itouch”

2) What about your iCloud account and password that are required to encrypt, store, access, and decrypt the backups there? Is that not a factor worth consideration?

Your password is not a factor worth considering. You can ask Apple to change it. That means they have the ability to change it. That means they have access.