The UK’s war on Apple encryption is back

The UK authorities is reportedly erstwhile again demanding that Apple supply it with backdoor entree to encrypted iCloud idiosyncratic data, pursuing claims that the effort had been abandoned successful August. The Financial Times reports that a caller method capableness announcement (TCN) was issued by the UK Home Office successful aboriginal September, this clip specifically targeting entree to British citizens’ iCloud backups.

This follows the UK issuing a broader concealed bid successful January, demanding that Apple make a backdoor for information officials to entree planetary encrypted idiosyncratic files. While it’s a transgression discourtesy to uncover the beingness of these secret TCN orders, Apple responded by filing an entreaty and removing a feature, Advanced Data Protection, its end-to-end encrypted iCloud storage, from the UK. After facing unit from the US regarding imaginable violations of the Cloud Act, it was announced by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that Britain had rescinded the order.

“The UK has agreed to driblet its mandate for Apple to supply a ‘back door’ that would person enabled entree to the protected encrypted information of American citizens and encroached connected our civilian liberties,” Gabbard posted to X connected August 19th. While US officials raised concerns astir the bid during President Trump’s authorities sojourn to the UK past month, according to The Financial Times, the work reports that 2 elder British authorities figures said the UK was nary longer facing US unit to driblet its demands.

We person reached retired to Apple for comment. The UK Home Office declined to remark connected the situation.

The UK’s revived effort to bypass Apple’s information encryption has sparked concerns that information and privateness whitethorn inactive beryllium impacted for users worldwide. “If Apple breaks end-to-end encryption for the UK, it breaks it for everyone,” said Privacy International, a non-profit privateness watchdog. “The resulting vulnerability tin beryllium exploited by hostile states, criminals and different atrocious actors the satellite over.”