Login
iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
Powered by MOMENTUMMEDIA
The UK government has backed down on its plans to introduce an encryption backdoor in Apple’s cloud storage, after pressure from the US.
Earlier this year, following an order by the UK government demanding the right to access data, Apple removed its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) from its secure cloud storage.
While Apple’s standard level of encryption allows access with a warrant, ADP is its most secure privacy measure and prevents even Apple from accessing using the opt-in security feature for encryption.
The UK demanded access to the data of Apple users for cases of national security threats.
Rather than comply with the order, Apple created a “back door” tool to allow the UK to access it. The tech giant said it was disappointed in having to remove ADP for the UK and that it maintains it is against compromising user security.
Now, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has announced that the UK has backed down on the backdoor order.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside [US President Donald Trump] and [Vice President JD Vance], to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected,” she wrote on X.
“As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a "back door" that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.”
While the UK government has not commented on the matter, a spokesperson said that it had a history of working with the US of protecting the privacy of the citizens in both countries and taking on threats to security.
"We will always take all actions necessary at the domestic level to keep UK citizens safe," said the spokesperson, as seen by ITNews.
Apple is yet to comment on the decision, but appealed the decision at the time of the mandate.
Five US federal lawmakers, including Senator Ron Wyden, wrote to the head of the British Investigatory Powers Tribunal, requesting that the hearing between the UK government and Apple be made public.
“Given the significant technical complexity of this issue, as well as the important national security harms that will result from weakening cyber security defences, it is imperative that the UK’s technical demands of Apple – and of any other US companies – be subjected to robust, public analysis and debate by cyber security experts,” the members said.
“Secret court hearings featuring intelligence agencies and a handful of individuals approved by them do not enable robust challenges on highly technical matters.”
Despite this, the hearing was held in private.
Lawmakers also suggested that the backdoor could breach a data privacy agreement between the US and the UK.
Congressman Jim Jordan, US House Judiciary chair, and Congressman Brian Mast, Foreign Affairs chair, warned in a joint letter that the backdoor could create security risks.
“Creating a backdoor into end-to-end encrypted systems, as the [UK backdoor order] does, introduces systemic vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious actors, including cyber criminals and authoritarian regimes,” the two wrote to UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
“These vulnerabilities would not only affect UK users but also American citizens and others worldwide, given the global nature of Apple’s services.”
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
