Dropbox editor unlocks pdf security

Question

It appears that the Dropbox pdf editor unlocks pdf restrictions you may have saved with the original pdf.

I exported a pdf in InDesign with security permissions (printing allowed: high resolution, changes allowed: none).

When you open the document with Acrobat you cannot make any changes to the document unless you provide a password. If you place the document though in Dropbox and open it with the Dropbox editor, the restrictions are deactivated (unlocked) and you are allowed to edit the document (delete/move pages, draw, etc) and save it as a new document. If now you open this new revised pdf document in Acrobat, the restrictions are still there.

What kind of document security is this?

Does anybody know why this is happening?

Test Screen Name · Answer

Document security is ignored by many third party apps. It's a pity, but there we are. This is "advisory" security - it tells apps what security settings apply, and they are expected to apply them.

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