Apple wasn't storing deleted iOS photos in iCloud after all
Security researchers reverse-engineered Apple's recent iOS 17.5.1 update and found that a recent bug that restored images deleted months or even years ago was caused by an iOS bug and not an issue with iCloud. [...]
Source: Apple wasn't storing deleted iOS photos in iCloud after all (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-wasnt-storing-deleted-ios-photos-in-icloud-after-all/)