How do I return an iPhone due to privacy concerns?

As for your demand for a full refund, this is a user-to-user forum. Apple is not largely not here, except to moderate it, and will not see your demand.

In many parts of the world, if you buy a phone directly from Apple, you have 14 days in which you can return it – in good condition – for a full refund. If you bought your phone directly from Apple and are within the relevant period, you might want to take advantage of it, while you can.

In any event, that is between you and Apple, We do not speak for Apple and are not in a position to grant you any refund.

Apple did not "allow the UK government and hackers access to [your] data".

There are news reports that the UK government demanded that Apple built secret back-doors into iCloud so that the UK government could get access to data. Rather than building in the back doors, Apple chose to discontinue Advanced Data Protection (for now) within the UK.

One article with an update on the situation:

BBC – Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

"In a statement Apple said it was "gravely disappointed" that the security feature would no longer be available to British customers.

"As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products, and we never will," it continued."

ToiletBlaster wrote:

I want to return my iPhone 16 pro I recently purchased as Apple have decided to allow the UK government and hackers access to my data, as this is in breach of why I bought the phone the first place I want a full refund

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Why are you holding Apple in any way responsible for a decision made by your government? Apple didn't do this. Complain to your elected officials as I too would be upset if my government did this to me. But you need to lay the blame where it should be and that is with your government, NOT Apple.

Now, to answer your question about returning the phone for refund. If you've owned the phone longer than 14 days, you can't return it for refund. But what will you buy instead, even if you could return it. If the British Government is requiring Apple to do this, then either the other phones in the UK already have a back door to user data or will also be required to open a door to it. They certainly didn't just single Apple out in this regard.

ToiletBlaster wrote:

I want to return my iPhone 16 pro I recently purchased as Apple have decided to allow the UK government and hackers access to my data, as this is in breach of why I bought the phone the first place I want a full refund

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Apple has not allowed a back door into your data. When you send stuff to iCloud it is encrypted. Only you and Apple have the keys. If the government wants to see what you've got in iCloud they'll have to get a warrant. I bet you didn't even have ADP enabled prior to this, did you?

As for a refund - you'll know the answer to this because you read a the terms for using Apple's software and agreed that they could make changes to the software whenever they like. You did read the terms before agreeing to them, didn't you?

Your government wants Apple to allow a "back door" to your iPhone.......so they can spy on you.

Apple has refused to allow this. And....you are blaming Apple?

If you are OK with your phone having a "back door" for your government to spy on you, there are other brands that will meet your requirements.

It's your decision.